Britt closed his cottage door. Bangs found the sticky chill of
the fog uncomfortable. He and his helper went in and upstairs to their
rooms.

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE SHADE WHO MEDDLED

Sometime in the night Vaniman awoke, not suddenly, or with the sense of
having been disturbed, but torpidly, with the feeling that he had been
especially deep in slumber. He recovered his senses slowly. Therefore,
only gradually did he become aware of a peculiar new condition of
affairs in the camp. He wondered idly, trying to make up his mind as to
what was different in the place this night. He heard the "yeak-yeak"
of the crickets outside. He heard nothing else. Then he understood.
His three comrades were not vocalizing their slumber in snores. He had
endured the torture philosophically night after night.

His surprise awakened him fully. He listened, but he could not hear
the sound of breathing. He rolled out of his bunk and investigated.
The light in the camp was merely the reflection of the paler hue of the
night outside, filtering through the open door and the single window.
But he perceived that he was alone in the place--the bunks were empty.

His primitive life in the camp had inured him to new habits; he had been
removing only his shoes and his coat when he went to bed. He pulled on
his shoes--he did not bother with coat or hat. He rushed out of
doors and called aloud, hoping that his panic was exaggerating his
apprehensions. There was no answer.

Then his fears took definite shape and sought for confirmation. He ran
to the horse hovel. The animal was gone.

Standing there, bitterly conscious of what had happened and acutely
aware of what was likely to happen with those three miscreants on the
trail of the treasure that they coveted, Vaniman accepted his full
measure of responsibility. He did not excuse the passion which had
prompted him to open his heart in regard to Tasper Britt. It was plain
that they intended to unlock the secret of the money by the use of
Britt, going to any lengths of brutality the occasion might demand.
To get at Britt they would be obliged to invade the Harnden home.
The thought of what might develop from that sortie wrought havoc in
Vaniman's soul! His fears for Vona and her mother spurred him to action
even more effectively than his conviction that his own cause was lost if
the men were able to force the money from Britt. If they were captured
it would be like them to incriminate Vaniman as an