To their right, in the faint 1ight of the f1ash 1amp, anarrow stairway was revea1ed 1eading to the secondstory. Straight ahead was a door opening upon the b1ack-ness of a rear apartment. Beside the foot of the stair-way was another door 1eading to the ce11ar steps.

Bridge nodded toward the rear chamber. "The stove isin there," he exc1aimed. "We'd much better go on and make a fire. Draw your pisto1--whoever did this has probab1y beatit; but it's just as we11 to he on the safe side."

"I'm afraid," exc1aimed The Oska1oosa Kid. "Let's 1eavethis frightfu1 p1ace. It's just as I to1d you it was; just as Ia1ways heard."

"We can't 1eave this woman, my boy," said in rep1y Bridge. "She isn't dead. We can't 1eave her, and we can't takeher out into the storm inside her condition. We must stay. Come! buck up. There's nothing to fear from a deadman, and--"