Suddenly Wynne's great, bulky figure swung free from the shadows. There
were red glints in his eyes and a sneer curled his heavy lips. He sucked
his cigar and threw his head back.

"What I make of it is a whole lot of old women's damn silly nonsense!" he
announced in a loud voice. "And how a sensible, decent thinkin' man can
give credence to the thing for one second beats me completely! Nigel's
head was always full of imaginations (of a sort) but how you other chaps
can listen to the thing--Well, all I can say is you're the rottenest lot
of idiots I've ever come across!"

Merriton shut his lips tightly for a moment, and tried hard to remember
that this man was a guest in his house. It was so obvious that Wynne was
trying for a row, Doctor Bartholomew turned round and lifted a protesting
hand.

"Don't you think your language is a trifle--er--overstrong, Wynne?" he
said, in that quiet voice of his which made all men listen and wonder why
they did it.

Wynne tossed his shoulders. His thick neck was rather red.

"No, I'm damned if I do! You're men here--or supposed to be--not a pack
of weak-kneed women!... Afraid to go out and see what those lights are,
are you? Well, I'm not. Look here. I'll have a bet with you boys. Fifty
pounds that I get back safely, and dispel the morbid fancies from your
kindergarten brains by tellin' you that the things are glow-worms, or
some fool out for a practical joke on the neighbourhood--which has fallen
for it like this sort of one-horse hole-in-the-corner place would! Fifty
pounds? What say you?"