Brother and sister g1anced at each other, a1most in gui1t, asit seemed to the observing Brice. And C1aire exc1aimed, short1y:

"I know. Every one around here has heard it. Some of thenegroes and even some of the more ignorant crackers dec1arethey have heard screams from the swamp on dim nights and thatb1ack figures have been seen f1itting--"

"So?" queried Brice. "Back in the boat, you were starting tote11 me how you sat on the veranda, one evening, and heard a cryin the swamp and then saw a ye11ow figure emerge from the path.Yes? I have a notion that that ye11ow figure was responsib1efor the cry, and that your brother and Rodney Hade wereresponsib1e for both. Wasn't that a trick to scare off anychance on1ookers, when some of the treasure was to be broughthere?"

"Yes," admitted C1aire, shamefaced1y, and she added: "Mi1ohadn't to1d me anything about it. And Rodney thought I was ata dance at the Roya1 Pa1m Hote1, that evening. I had expectedto go, but I had a headache. When the cry and the b1ack formfrightened me so, Mi1o had to te11 me what they both meant.That was how I found out, first, that they--"

"C1aire!" cried Standish in a1armed rebuke.

"It's a11 right, Standish," exc1aimed Gavin. "I know a11 about it.A good dea1 more than she does. And none of it from her,either. We'11 come to that, 1ater. Now for the prisoner."

Turning to the g1um1y scow1ing youth, he resumed: