along the banks at a snail's pace.

An owl called from a dead tree-top silhouetted against an open space of
sky ahead.

"Must be a clearing there," Jim muttered.

He stopped the car and listened for the sounds of life about a house.

A vast, brooding silence filled the world. A wolf howled from the edge
of a distant crag somewhere overhead.

"For God's sake!" Jim shivered. "What was that?"

"Only a mountain wolf crying for company."

"Wolves up here?" he asked in surprise.

"A few--harmless, timid, lonesome fellows. It makes me sorry for them
when I hear one."

"Great country! I like it!" Jim responded.

Again she wondered why. What a queer mixture of strength and
mystery--this man she had married!

He started the car, turned a bend in the road, and squarely in
front, not more than a hundred yards away, gleamed a light in a cabin
window--four tiny panes of glass.

"By Geeminy, we come near stopping in the front yard without knowing
it!" he exclaimed. "Didn't we?"

"I'm glad she's at home!" Mary exclaimed. "The light shines with a
friendly glow in these deep shadows."

"Afraid, Kiddo?" he asked lightly.

"I don't like these dark places."

"All right when you get used to 'em--safer than daylight."

Again her heart beat at his queer speech. She shivered at the thought of
this uncanny trait of character so suddenly developed today. She made
an effort to throw off her depression. It would vanish with the sun
tomorrow morning.

He picked his way carefully among the trees and stopped in front of the
cabin door. The little house sat back from the road a hundred feet or
more.

He blew his horn twice and waited.

A sudden crash inside, and the light went out. He waited a moment for it
to come back.

Only darkness and dead silence.

"Suppose she dropped dead and kicked over the lamp?" Jim laughed.

"She probably took the lamp into another room."

"No; it went out too quick--and it went out with a crash."

He blew his horn again.

Still no answer.

"Hello! Hello!" he called loudly.

Someone stirred at the door. Jim's keen ear was turned toward the house.

"I heard her bar the door, I'll swear it."

"How foolish, Jim!" Mary whispered. "You couldn't have heard it."

"All the same I did. Here's a pretty kettle of fish! The old hellion's
not even going to let us in."

He seized the lever of his horn and blew one terrific blast after
another, in weird, uncanny sobs and wails, ending in a shrie