by Ross Kay
CHAPTER VII--AN ESCAPE
There was no question about the repetition of the strange sound in theupper room. To the excited boy there were evidences that people werewalking over the board floors. Indeed, he was positive he could hear theslow, measured footfalls of some one who was walking back and forth inthe room directly above him. A moment later he was equally convincedthat the sound of the whistling creatures which had been heard when thefour boys first visited the house was now repeated.
A moment later there came a rushing sound of many wings. For a momentFred's courage almost deserted him, his flesh seemed to creep. Hestopped abruptly in the darkness and spoke aloud to himself, "This willnever do. It is all foolishness. There isn't any such thing as a spookanyway, so why should you be afraid of one?"
At that moment, however, the sound of the rushing wings was heard againand all Fred's efforts to strengthen his heart proved unavailing. Theflying creatures were in the cellar, there was no question about thatnow. Fred almost cried aloud as he heard the wings coming closer to theplace he was standing.
A moment later the flying creatures seemed to be circling the cellar andin the midst of it all the sharp twitter which had so strangelyimpressed him the preceding evening was now heard again and within a fewfeet of him. Then, too, there was the sound of some one walking again inthe room above him. Had Fred been in a less nervous condition he wouldhave been aware that it was no ghostly walk which he heard, for thefootfalls were heavy and plainly those of some one whose weight was notslight. Fred, however, was in no condition calmly to consider thesethings. The darkness was almost appalling now and surrounded as he wasby unseen winged creatures his fears redoubled.
He looked again at the cellar windows, but escape through them wasimpossible. Almost in a frenzy the frightened boy decided that help mustbe found from some source. In his desperation he ran to the cellar doorand pushed against it with all his strength. To his amazement the doorreadily yielded to his onslaught. He pushed up the heavy door and in amoment he was in the yard.
He was in the kitchen when the door once more fell back into its place.The loud report startled the unseen creatures and even after he hadgained the ground outside the building he heard the strange twitteringthat seemed now to come from the chimney. The noise made by the wings ofthe flying creatures also was plainly heard. Whatever the explanationmight be the whole place and experience seemed so uncanny to the nervousboy that he instantly fled toward the road not far away.
Even when he gained the highway his one supreme thought still was offlight. Instantly beginning to run he steadily increased the pace atwhich he was fleeing until his breathing became labored and perspirationwas pouring down his face. Occasionally he glanced behind him in his madflight and on one occasion as he did so his foot was caught in someobstruction and he was thrown heavily upon the ground.
Falling, however, was not uncommon in the experience of Fred. Indeed,his friends declared that he was like a rubber ball, he bounced up afterevery fall as if the contact with the ground had only afforded himadditional power.
The road was dusty and as Fred's flight continued his appearance becamesteadily worse. Fortunately, however, in the dim light not one of thefew people who met him recognized him, or discovered his plight. The onegreat purpose in his mind was still to run. The greatest possibledistance between himself and the old Meeker House must be made and inhis determination this distance steadily and rapidly increased.Occasionally he glanced behind the trees, the dim outlines of which wereplainly to be seen. Somehow there was a fear in his mind that some enemymight be loitering behind these shelters. Once when he ran past an oldand deserted barn that stood near the roadway he was confident that heheard sounds of weird laughter issuing from the tumbling structure.Indeed, in whichever direction the boy looked, it seemed to him hediscovered evidences of the very enemies whom he had left behind him inhis flight.
Somehow at last Fred found himself in the long, shaded lane or drivewaythat led from the road up to the house of his friend. The trees weretall poplars and stood like sentinels guarding each side of the road.Even now Fred's fears had not disappeared, although he saw the lightsgleam from the windows of the old farmhouse before him.
So weary was he by his long flight and worn by his excitement that whenat last he swiftly mounted the steps of the piazza his foot slipped andonce more the unfortunate boy fell upon the floor.
Aroused by the sound his three friends instantly rushed from the room inwhich they were seated and a moment later discovered their friend in hispredicament.
"What in the world is the matter with you?" demanded George as the threeboys gazed in astonishment at Fred.
"N-n-o-t-h-in'. N-n-o-t-h-in'," gasped Fred.
"You look as if there was nothing doing," said Grant, repressing a smileas the plight of Fred became manifest in the light. "Actually you lookas if you belonged in a lunatic asylum."
"I guess I do," responded Fred.
"Well, what's the matter?" demanded John. "You haven't told us where youhave been nor what you have been doing."
"I can't. I can't now," said Fred. "Give me a chance to rest up."
"You need a bath more than you need a rest," declared George laughingly,as he became convinced that nothing serious had happened to his friend."Come upstairs and I'll see that you get what you deserve."
"It's lucky everybody doesn't get what he deserves. If he did--"
"Never mind that," directed George. "Come on upstairs and take your bathand get a change of clothes and you'll feel in your right mind oncemore."
Acting promptly upon the suggestion Fred withdrew from his friends for atime and a half-hour later, when he returned to the piazza, he was notable entirely to conceal his feeling of chagrin. It was true that he hadhad some strange experiences, but it was difficult now to believe thatthey were all real. Certainly his companions were very much in evidenceand as they seated themselves, George said promptly, "Now my lad, tellus what happened to you."
"Well, I don't mind telling you," said Fred, "that I went over to theold Meeker House."
"That's just what I thought," laughed George, "and you stayed thereuntil it was so dark that you heard those strange noises again, didn'tyou?"
"Yes, sir, I did that, and a good deal more."
"What else? Tell us about it. Why don't you talk?" demanded Johnimpatiently.
"It isn't anything I want to talk much about," said Fred positively in alow voice. "I tell you there's something strange about that house. Iwent over there late this afternoon and found a tramp."
"Where?" broke in George. "In the house?"
"Yes, it was in the house and he at once offered to become my guide,counselor and friend."
"What do you mean?" inquired Grant.
"Just what I say," said Fred. "He showed me through the old building.Finally he took me into the cellar and left me there, though he tookpains not to close the old cellar-door. For a while I didn't mind it,but when I found I couldn't get out of the place, for the windows weretoo small for me to crawl through, and I couldn't lift the big door, Ididn't know just what to do."
"Well, what did you do?" demanded John.
"Why, I called, shouted and whistled through the window, but I couldn'tget anybody to pay any attention to me. Yes, there was one who heardme," he added. "He was a small boy driving a cow and when he heard thecalls from the old Meeker House he lost no time in withdrawing from thatpart of the country. Even the cow he was driving seemed to feel just ashe did, for her tail went up and her head down and she joined in therace in that graceful, polite way that cows have when they run."
"It's plain you saw something besides the spooks then," said George,laughing heartily. "Look yonder," he added quickly, pointing as he spoketoward the end of the piazza.
In the dim light Uncle Sim was seen standing there, his eye-ballsshining and his intense interest in the conversation of the boysmanifest in the expression of his face.
"Yas, suh. Yas, suh," he said when the boys first became aware
of hispresence, "I don' tol' yo' not to go near dat ol' Meeker House."
"Don't you ever go there?" asked Fred.
"Me go dar? No, suh. No, suh. It would take fo' yoke ob oxen to make mego inside dat ol' house in de daytime and in de night I reckon Caleb'sArmy couldn't drive me in dar'."
"What became of your tramp friend?" inquired George when the boys aroseto enter the room.
"That's what I should like to know," said Fred somewhat ruefully.
"Well, come on in, we'll all feel better after dinner," said Georgecheerfully, as he led the way into the dining room.
The strange experience which had befallen Fred was the chief topic ofconversation. Even their interest, however, was broken when a half-hourhad passed and word was brought that Uncle Sim was desirous of speakingat once to Mr. George.
Excusing himself George withdrew from the dining room and a few minuteslater when he returned he said, "What do you think has happened,fellows?"
"We don't know. How should we know?" retorted John. "If you've gotsomething to say why don't you say it?"
"That's just what I am going to do," said George, but he had scarcelybegun his statement before his three friends leaped from their seats atthe table and quickly followed him as he led the way out of the house.
