The stick passed through it, leaving behind but a crumbled, formless heap of ashes.

Curly essayed investigation upon the other side of the fire.

A touch, and the whole ghastly figure was gone! There remained no trace of what had lain there.

The shallow, incrusting shell of the fickle ash broke in and fell, all the thin exterior covering dropping into the cavern which it had inclosed! Before them lay not charred and dismembered remains, but simply a flat table of ashes, midway along it a slightly higher ridge, at which the wind, hitherto not conspiring, now toyed, flicking away items here and there, carrying them, spreading them, returning them unto the dust.

Cal Greathouse had made his charge, and left it with the Frontier to cast the reckoning..