The Lost Valley

y so small that it looked like the creation of a child. The place was heavily timbered, and almost all definable features were masked beneath the trees. Abel saw even in the first glance that here was

shock of a sudden stoppage. Mr. Bradby, he saw, was sitting almost buried in a mass

d out a helping hand. Mr. Bradby struggle

g the country for us, and them not a penny the wiser. That tumble of mine was just the luckiest thing imaginable. You talk about fallin

rses down here?" queried

which he had come so precipitat

said at length. "And from what I can s

aw, "we've got to get those horses

t h

down, but in the end he managed it. When he reached the top he turned, to find that Bradby was almost at his heels. He surveyed the place with the ey

rting itself now that they had reached a haven of comparative safety, and he

ts owner to lead it up the slight rise to the wattles, though there it drew back as if conscious of the drop beneath. But by dint of prodding and coaxing Bradby forced it through the crackling br

rther we get into this timber the better, I say. I don't suppose any p

hat grassy slope for that. If it had been dry earth there'd have been tracks enough in all cons

into the further side of the ranges that it was almost impossible to say exactly. The wood grew thic

close," Bradby

and the sight set him wondering. The cuts were curiously like the blazing of a trail. They were regular, they were all about the same height on the tree-trunks, and they looked as if they had been made with an axe, not the crude stone we

irst here," Cums

alarm. "What d'y' mean

are clean, and that means they've been done with an axe. But

has stumbled on this place-it doesn't matter much whether it was yesterday or ten years ago-and

to it?" Cumshaw interrupted. "We've been lucky so far,

by said gloomily. "It might be the

ery intently through the boles of the trees as if he

king at?" Bradby

ng and a hut on the edge of it,

by, and he in his turn

w said comfortingly. "It looks deserted.

d with naive irrelevance. "It fair gives

things here doubtless that you and I don't understand, but they're quite capable of a rational explanation, so don't go digging up any stuff about ghosts until you find you can't e

at I'm tackling. I only mentioned I didn't like the feel of the plac

ay here with the horses, and I'll creep forward a bit and see if anyon

gested Bradby. "However, you go off a

of mind was such that he took the gloomier view of the situation. He would not have been very much surprised to see half a dozen troopers issue from the hut. He would have taken it as the inevitable ending of such an adventure. He failed to understand the natural cheerfulness with which Cumshaw faced the situation. He was bright and volatile enough himself

nimals, and the nearness of the horses in nowise mitigated his fear. For he was afraid, unashamedly afraid, though of what he could no more have said than he could fly. He knew without understanding how the knowledge came to him that the valley was filled with the ghos

asily, and the lame an

g to him that he realised that the sound he had heard was his companion's "Coo-ee." He loosed his hold on the reins, allowing the two horses to wander where they migh

s he pulled up. "Startled yo

to you when I heard you call," Bra

something in the man's nervous tone troubled him in a way he could not de

But he looked towards th

other's glance, "but there isn't anything t

adby repea

said in semi-explanation. "But come

fle musty, and all the air was full of the subtle reek of decay. It was rather dim in the hut, and at first Mr. Bradby could see nothing but some indefini

haw irreverently, and stirr

deous thing about it was that it was not stretched out on the plank bed; it was propped up, as if the man had died while sitting. A rusted

ok at his head. He's blown o

hastly, leering look which turned Bradby physically sick. The other man was evidently troubled by no such qualms, for he loosened the

suddenly, and disappeared through t

Well, someone's got to clear this old chap out, and, as it

sited it carefully on the grass outside the hut. His eye lighted on Mr. Bradby, who was sitting on the ground some

n tones that betrayed a certain amount of

," Mr. Cumshaw grinned wi

hy

in the quick monosyllable. It c

out here for the night; I don't suppose he'll mind it much. If he's gone to the Abode of the Blessed he'll be above worrying

at of the dead," Bradby said

are closing in, and we'll have the night on us before we know where we are. I'd suggest that we catch the horses while the light's still good. You must remember they've got those saddle-bags on them still. Of c

The horses had not strayed far; they were busily cropping the grass, and seemed quite content with their lot. The two men un

the scene. The place seemed peaceful enough, but he had that queer sense of the bushman, a sense almost amounting to an instinct, that told him that there was trouble ahead. He shook the feeling off almost immediately and entered the hut. Bradby, despite his dislike of the conglomeration of bones on the grass o

plans were germinating in his brain, and he saw, or fancied he saw, a way of turning this latest discovery to practical use. The bleached bones in

adby entered and said, "I think we're safe in starting a fire here. It can't be seen by anyone crossing the hills, though there isn't much likelihood of that, and al

radby quietly. "You kn

bent down to his work and whistled cheerfully while he coaxed the fire into a blaze. Presently it was burning brightly, the billy w

nted. "A man can die here with

ners of his mouth tightened as if he suspected