I jerked out my revolver; I reached over and gave Rhodes a shake that would have awakened Epimenides himself; then I grabbed the electric light and flashed it upon the descending monster.
I could scarcely believe my eyes. Nothing but the empty air. The monster had vanished.
"What's the matter?" came the sudden voice of Rhodes. "What in Paradise is going on now?"
I rubbed my eyes and stared upward once more.
"Look there!" said I, pointing. "Tell me, do you see nothing there?"
"There isn't anything there, Bill—now."
"But there was something there a second or two ago, and it didn't go away."
"Ergo it is still there," said Milton. "But, you see, it isn't. What did you see?"
"I wish I knew. I thought at first that it was a demon, phosphorescent or something. It was up there. I tell you it was up there. And it was coming down, coming down straight towards this very spot."
"Great Caesar's spook!" exclaimed Rhodes.