Hay paused again, and turned with a shiver to look over his shoulder down the path, listening intently; the other two noticed for the first time that the butt of a revolver was sticking out of his coat pocket. ‘Well, my boys, I expect I’ve bored you so far, but I shan’t with the rest of my yarn.’ He turned to them again, speaking hurriedly and low. ‘That night I was sitting in the dining-room pretty late, writing up my Commissioner’s log. The wife had gone to bed; it was a mighty hot night, and the infant had been making herself felt. I was smoking, and not over and above busy--the Luma Commissioner isn’t given that way. There was a bright moon, and it was very still and peaceful, much the same as this. It happened I was just thinking what rummy noises one hears at night, when I heard quite the rummiest noise I’ve ever heard or ever want to; it was the cry as of a creature that had lost its soul and “couldn’t tell whe--ere to find it.” He broke into the old tune, which came on the top of the intense solemnity of the last few words with a weird effect that sent a shudder through his listeners. ‘By George! You fellows may just “lift up your hearts” that you’ve never heard a sound like that; it sent the blue creeps through _me_--I sat there wondering what the deuce it was, till, looking through the window, I saw in a bright patch of moonlight in front of the house a naked figure, dancing a kind of fantastic dance, and brandishing a streak of silver above its head; then I heard that awful cry again, and the figure darted forward and disappeared. I sat there rubbing my eyes, and wishing for a drink, when the door opened with a crash, and Judy almost fell into the room, his eyes starting out of his head with fright, and his teeth chattering. “Sahib! quick! quick! Synge Sahib kill Wasp, and kill de chickens; Synge Sahib run amok! Synge Sahib run amok!” and the beggar fell on the floor, and grovelled underneath the table. “What the devil!” I began--then suddenly came that cry again, quite close this time. I dashed out of the room, and made down the landing for my wife’s room. My God! What do you think I saw?’ In his intensity he leaned forward, staring straight at the opposite wall, with his hand gripping the butt of the pistol, and in his eyes they could almost read the words that followed.