ng wanted
explanation. He rounded the building, and as he did so understood the
change in the weather. A sharp gust of wind took him, and he felt
several drops of rain splash upon his face. A moment later a flash of
lightning preceded a distant rumble of thunder.

He quickened his pace and drew out into the open, leaving the shadow
of the woods behind him as he turned toward the ranch buildings. The
light in the kitchen had been put out. Evidently Diane had already
gone to bed. He stepped out briskly, and a moment later another flash
of lightning revealed the window close beside him. He mechanically
stretched out a hand and felt along the sill. It was tightly closed
all right. A crash of thunder warned him of the quick-rising summer
storm that was upon him, and the rain was coming down with that
ominous solidity which portends a real, if brief, deluge. He started
at a run. A drenching at that hour was unpleasant to contemplate. He
had intended witnessing the return of the night-riders, but, under the
circumstances, that was now out of the question.

He had only gone a few paces when he brought up to a stand. Even
amidst the noisy splashing of the rain, he thought he heard the sound
of running feet somewhere near by; so he stood listening with every
nerve straining. Then the promised deluge came and drowned every other
sound. It was no use waiting longer, so he hurried on toward his
quarters.

A dozen strides further on and the sky was split from end to end with
a fork of lightning, and he was brought to a dead halt by the scene
it revealed. It was gone in an instant, and the thunder crashed right
above him. He had distinctly seen the figures of two men running. One
was running toward him, and, curiously enough, the other was running
from his left rear. And yet he had seen them both. Utterly heedless of
the rain now, he waited for another flash. There was something strange
doing, and he wished to fathom the mystery.

The duration of the storm was only a matter of a few minutes. It
seemed to have spent itself in one flash of lightning and one peal of
thunder. The second flash was long in coming. But at last a hazy sheet
of white light shone for a second over the western sky, revealing the
ghostly shadow of a man coming at him, bearing in his upraised hand
some heavy weapon of offense. He leapt to avoid the blow. But he was
too late. The weapon descended, and, though he flung his arms to
protect himself, the darkness