The next instant they sprang to their feet at the sight of the frightened face of the colored man peering in on them. He was as near white as a negro can ever be, which is a sort of chalk color, and his eyes were wide open with fear. "What's the matter?" asked Jack. "A ghost! I done seen de ghost ob a dead man!" gasped the colored man. "A ghost?" repeated Mark. "Yais, sah, right out yeah! He's lyin' down in a hole--a dead man. Golly! but I'se a scared coon, I is!" and Washington looked over his shoulder as though he feared the "ghost" had followed him. CHAPTER XXII A BREAKDOWN At first they were inclined to regard the announcement of Washington lightly, but the too evident fright of the colored man showed that there was some basis for his fear. "Tell us just what you saw, and where it was," said Mr. Henderson. "Was the man alive, Washington?" "No, sah. How could a ghost be alive? Dey is all dead ones, ghosts am!" "There are no such things as ghosts," said Mr. Henderson sternly. "Den how could I see one?" demanded the cook triumphantly, as if there was no further argument. "Well, tell us about it," suggested Jack. "It were jest dis way," began Washington earnestly, and with occasional glances over his shoulder, "I were walkin' along, sort ob lookin' fer dem sparklin' diamonds, an' I didn't see none, when all on a suddint I looked down in a hole, and dere I seen HIM!" and he brought out the word with a jerk. "Saw what--who?" asked Mr. Roumann. "De ghost--de dead man. He were lyin' all curled up, laik he were asleep, an' when I seed him, I didn't stop t' call him t' dinner, yo' can make up yo' minds t' dat all." "Can you show us the place?" inquired Jack. "Yais, sah, massa Jack, dat's what I kin. I'll point it out from dish yeah winder, but I ain't g'wine dar ag'in; no, sah, 'scuse me!" "Well, show us then," suggested Mark. "I wonder what it can be?" he went on. "Maybe one of the people who came from Mars after the diamonds, who was forgotten and left here, and who died," said Jack. "It's possible," murmured Mr. Henderson. "However, we'll go take a look. Get on your fur coats, boys, and take the life-torches. Will you come, Andy?" "Sure. It's got to be more than a ghost to scare me," said the hunter. They emerged from the projectile and walked in the direction Washington had pointed, holding their gas torches near their heads and talking of what they might see. "This will be evidence in favor of my diamond theory," declared Jack. "It shows that the Martians were here." "Wait and see what it is," suggested his chum. They walked along a short distance farther, and then Mark spoke. "That ought to be the place over there," he said, pointing to a depression between two tall pinnacles of black rock. Jack sprang forward, and a moment later uttered a cry of astonishment. "Here it is!" he called. "A dead man!" "A dead man?" echoed Professor Henderson.