The Motor Girls at Camp Surprise; Or, The Cave in the Mountains

by Margaret Penrose

  CHAPTER XXI--A DANCING LIGHT

  "This is getting to be the limit of patience!" exclaimed Jack a bitwrathfully, as he looked at the disordered rooms. "Why can't we dosomething?"

  "We could, if we knew what to do," said Walter. "But you can't fightnothing with something."

  "It is very intangible," said Cora. "Oh, all my pretty things scatteredabout!"

  "Look and see if anything is taken," suggested Paul. "If we can find outwhat is missing--I mean the character of the things--we can get a betterline on who might have taken them. So far, the flashlight indicatesregular burglars."

  For a time the girls were so put out, and so nervous over what hadhappened, that they could not ascertain what, if anything, was missing.

  Then Cora began to reckon up her belongings, and found that a number ofarticles had been taken. Hazel found the same misfortune had visitedher.

  "There are lots of my things gone," said Cora.

  "What?" asked Walter, producing pencil and paper. "Let's get at thissystematically."

  "Oh, well, there are lots of things you--you wouldn't understand about,"said Cora, blushing slightly.

  "That's true enough," Walter admitted with a smile. "You are not on thewitness stand, so you needn't mention face powder, nose rings----"

  "Well, I like that!" cried Cora. "As if we used face powder!"

  "Just for that he will have to eat at the second table," pronouncedHazel.

  "Come on!" challenged Jack, laughing. "Get down to business. What sortof things are missing, Cora?"

  "Girls' things, of course," said his sister. "We didn't have much elseup here."

  And that, it developed, was what was missing. Trinkets, some toiletarticles, including a silver-mounted set belonging to Cora which Jackhad given her the previous Christmas, were gone. Hazel lost asilver-backed mirror and a box full of bright ribbons.

  "Well, this beats me!" said Walter with a puzzled air, as he looked atthe list he had made. "They took some things they may possibly disposeof at a pawnshop, but why grown men burglars should want hair ribbons,or neck ribbons, or whatever ribbons they are, gets me."

  "What makes you think they were men?" asked Belle.

  "Who else would it be?"

  "Well, we first had a theory that the upsetting might have been done byboys," said Cora.

  "Yes, that theory would fit, under certain circumstances," agreedWalter. "So would the taking of the flashlight. Almost any boy wouldhave been glad to get that. But what boy would take a lot of prettyribbons, even though he were enough of a criminal to know that he mightbe able to dispose of the silver-mounted toilet articles? It doesn'tjibe."

  In the main, they were forced to agree with Walter.

  "Well, the fact remains that we have had another visit from theunknowns," concluded Walter, "and what are we going to do about it?"

  For a moment no one knew what to say. And then, as brains were busy withthe mystery, several schemes were offered.

  "Put some animal traps about and catch the intruders," said Jack.

  "One of us stay and watch, while the others go away," was Paul'scontribution.

  "Sprinkle talcum powder on the floor, and then we can track them by themarks," offered Hazel.

  "Not such a bad idea," declared Jack, as the others laughed. "It hasbeen known to work."

  "Call in the police," came from Bess.

  "Pooh!" scoffed Cora. "If they couldn't get back my automobile theycan't find mysterious thieves who enter through locked doors or windows,and vanish into thin air with their ill-gotten gains."

  "Let--let's go home!" faltered Belle.

  "Nonsense!" cried Cora. "We'll stick it out. It is just gettinginteresting."

  "That's all right," announced Belle, "but suppose--suppose they come inthe night, when we're asleep, and take one of us?"

  "Let them begin on Bess," suggested Jack, with a laugh. "No offense, ofcourse, fair one," and he bowed, "but you know you could give a goodaccount of yourself if some one did try to walk off with you."

  "Don't dare suggest such a thing!" cried the plump twin. "I'd never goto sleep if I thought they'd come at night."

  "They do seem to confine their visits to daytime, and to the periodswhen we are away," said Cora.

  "Which makes it look, more than ever, as if they watched the bungalowand knew just when to take advantage of our absence," commented Paul.

  "Oh, don't say that!" begged Belle. "Just think--they--they may bewatching now!"

  "Well, if they are let's go and see if we can rout them out," suggestedJack. "There aren't many places of concealment about the bungalow."

  While the other girls helped Cora and Hazel put to rights the upsetrooms, the boys made a thorough search outside. There did not seem to beany place where the mysterious persons might conceal themselves in orderto spy on the bungalow. There were trees all about, but the underbrushhad been cut away, and there was small chance for concealment. The boysalso started to make an inspection about their own bungalow, but thiswas cut short by a shower that came up.

  "Well, so far, we are just about where we started," said Jack, as he andhis two chums were eating supper with the girls that night. "We haven'tfound out anything."

  "But we will!" declared Cora. "I'm not going to be beaten this way.We'll organize a campaign."

  They talked to this end, making a tentative plan that the next time theywent off on a trip, some member of the party would be left behind inconcealment in the bungalow, to see, if possible, who the visitor orvisitors were.

  "And if that doesn't work we'll try something else," said Walter.

  It was evident, though, that after the first few trials the new plan wasnot going to work. Though the boys took turns in remaining inconcealment while the others went away, not a sound or sign ofdisturbance was noted. No furniture was misplaced, and nothing wastaken.

  "We've got to have a new scheme," said Cora. "Let's talk to Mr. and Mrs.Floyd about it. Maybe they can suggest something."

  But the caretaker and his wife had nothing to offer. They were as muchworried and disturbed by the queer happenings as were the girls andboys. And though they were generous and kindly souls, they were notquick thinkers, and had little imagination.

  "It's just spirits," said Mrs. Floyd. "Spirits come and go."

  "There aren't any such things," declared Cora.

  "Maybe it's lightning," suggested Mr. Floyd. "We have pretty heavythunderstorms up here."

  "Lightning can't move furniture, nor carry off looking glasses and hairribbons," Cora went on.

  "Well, once lightning struck Jim Dobson's cabin," the caretaker said,"and knocked all his pots and pans off the stove, and burned a holeright through his clock."

  "That's within the bounds of possibility," admitted Jack.

  "It's boys!" decided Walter. "You'll find that some youngsters are up tothese tricks, and they're cute enough to cover up their tracks."

  "That's it," said Paul. "They're too cute. They don't leave any tracks.How they get in and out again, without leaving a clew or a mark is morethan I can see." For an examination of the place after the lossessuffered by Cora and Hazel had disclosed no apparent means of egress oringress.

  One evening when the girls had gone over to the boys' bungalow to sitand talk, Cora, who had gone to the end of the porch, whence a viewcould be had of the other building, uttered an exclamation.

  "There's a light in our bungalow!" she called. "Did we leave oneburning?"

  "No," answered Belle. "I put it out, as I was afraid of fire."

  "Well, one's there now. See how it dances about!"

  Indeed, a light could be observed, dancing up and down, flashing firstfrom one window and then from another.

  "It's Mr. or Mrs. Floyd," said Jack.

  "They've gone to the village," Paul said. "I saw them go."

  "It's the mysterious visitors!" cried Walter. "They're using Cora'sflashlight! Come on, boys, this time we have them!"

  He ran toward the bungalow, followed by the oth
ers.