Forrester gave a startled exclamation and looked at Green in amazement for a moment. The reply was curiously like that which the negro had made to him the day before. "Mr. Forrester," continued Green, "I’ve been doin’ police and detective work for twenty years. I ain’t afraid o’ no man livin’. Just show me a bunch o’ tough mugs and I’ll jump right in and clean ’em up. But I’m damned if I’ll ever sit out in the woods at night again with rustlin’ leaves, bodiless voices and burnin’ hands! No, _sir_—never again! You don’t want no detective to solve this case, Mr. Forrester—you want a spiritualist, or somethin’ like that!" "Look here, Green!" exclaimed Forrester. "You’re too old and experienced a man—you’ve got too much common sense—to believe in stuff like that. Who has been telling you all these things?" "Tellin’ me?" gasped Green. "My God! I seen ’em myself, with my own eyes; heard ’em with my own ears. Nobody don’t have to _tell_ me nothin’. _I seen it!_" "Mere trickery!" scoffed Forrester. "Someone was playing a joke on you." "Damn it all!" cried Green, jumping up and pounding a huge fist on his desk. "Don’t tell me I didn’t see what I seen. I never had no superstition till last night, but believe me! You can tell me any kind o’ a ghost story now and I’ll _swear_ to it. Take it from me, Sir Oliver Lodge and all them people ain’t so cracked as we thought they was. I thought them city detectives was a bunch o’ boneheads, but I apologize to ’em now—every one. I tell you, Mr. Forrester, here’s a case that’ll never be solved. It’s some imp o’ hell that leaves those notices at people’s doors. No wonder they’re found asphyxiated when they don’t pay. It’s coal-gas straight from hell that comes out and suffocates ’em. You’ll never catch nobody takin’ that money out o’ that tree, ’cause you can take my word for it, when you put it in there, a ghostly, flamin’ hand reaches over your shoulder and pulls it out again. Believe me, no human eyes is goin’ to see the people that gets that money." "Now look here, Green!" exclaimed Forrester. "I’m willing to admit that something or other has given you a bad scare, and that you’ve lost your grip. What you need is a good breakfast and some hot coffee. Come on out with me and get your breakfast. You can tell me the whole story while you’re eating." Green mumbled objections, but Forrester continued to urge him until the man put on his hat and accompanied Forrester to a nearby restaurant. There, between gulps of food and the consuming of several cups of hot coffee, Green told his story across the table to Forrester.