“Some time later I was working in the pantry when I heard a shot. I looked out, but at first I couldn’t see anything. Then the moon came through, and I picked out the master crouching down beside the big cedar. ‘What’s he up to?’ I wondered, and it was then for the first time I felt a sinking, creepy feeling, sir, as if I’d give anything to be up in London with people and lights. But I was fond of the master, sir, and I felt it was up to me to look after him, and I made up my mind to stick it out. “When I went back to the morning-room to ask about orders for the next day he was on his knees peering through the blind. I went out and knocked loudly, and he was sitting in his chair when I came in again, but his left hand was twitching quickly. I was going to take the rifle out to be cleaned, but he told me to leave it there till the morning. “It was from then, sir, that the bad time really began. It was all right till dusk came, and the master was quite boisterous and good-humoured during the day, but as soon as the sun was down, and that sound began, and the master started to be funny, and all the maids got agitated and hysterical, it was as much as I could stand. “When I say the master started to be funny, I mean that he got silent and watchful and absorbed in something. From then on he ate nothing at dinner, though he usually went in and sat down for a time. On the third night, after he had been staring at the dark corner and round the room for a time, he suddenly jumped to his feet and seemed to fling something from him. His face was working, sir, and he pointed his hand to the door. ‘Turn that dog out! Turn that dog out!’ he shouted. “I was badly taken aback, but I pretended to drive something out of the door. This finished the footman, who ran away the next morning. I wasn’t sorry, as I thought I’d better have the master to myself. It was from then on I had to pretend all the time when I was with him at night, for there was no doubt by now, sir, that he was seeing some dog most of the time, and he was scared of it. I had to sit with him in the evening with a whip in my hand and let fly in the direction he pointed to. Then he made me come and sleep in the room next to his. The sound got steadily worse and became something shocking, sir, and the maids went one by one. It seemed to drive them crazy, and they’d sit with their hands to their ears crying. I replaced them at first and offered every kind of high wages, but it was no good, they wouldn’t stay, and very soon Mrs. Miles and I were left alone. She was a brave woman, sir, she said she’d stick till she died, if necessary.” “Did Sir Roger hear this sound?” asked Mr. Ponders. “Not as we did, sir, but he was always hearing barking and snarling and something scratching at the door. He hated _that_ worst of all. Time after time he’d tell me through the tube from his room to mine that there was a dog at his door. I always got up, but, of course, there was nothing there.