flares into the torch's dim glow. But it was an animal of some
kind;--distorted and formless in the wavering finger of blunted
light; but still an animal. Not a ghost.

And fear departed. The intruder feared nothing mortal. The
mystery in part explained, he did not bother to puzzle out the
remainder of it. Impossible as it seemed, his bag was carried by
some living thing. All that remained for him was to capture the
thing, and recover his bag. The weak light still turned on, he
gave chase.

Lad's spirits arose with a bound. His ruse had succeeded. He had
reawakened in this easily-discouraged chum a new interest in the
game. And he gamboled across the lawn, fairly wriggling with
delight. He did not wish to make his friend lose interest again.
So instead of dashing off at full speed, he frisked daintily,
just out of reach of the clawing hand.

And in this pleasant fashion the two playfellows covered a
hundred yards of ground. More than once, the man came within an
inch of his quarry. But always, by the most imperceptible spurt
of speed, Laddie arranged to keep himself and his dear satchel
from capture.

Then, in no time at all, the game ended; and with it ended Lad's
baby faith in the friendliness and trustworthiness of all human
nature.

Realizing that the sound of his own stumblingly running feet and
the intermittent flashes of his torch might well awaken some