CHAPTER XIX.
AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE MYSTERY.
"Well, if that doesn't beat the Dutch," said Frank, the first torecover his tongue after the thing, whatever it was, had gone fromtheir view.
"Seems to melt right into the air, doesn't it?" exclaimed the WeeOne. "I thought when I heard of there being a ghost down on the fieldthat some one was just kidding. What do you suppose it can be?"
"That's what I'd like to know," said Jimmy. "The first time we saw itwas the night David came. We happened to be in the bedroom and thething came just like it did to-night, and then went as quickly as itcame. There's no kidding about it. It's something, sure as shooting."
"Let's go and take a look," suggested Frank, looking around the group.
"Not on your life," said Lewis. "I'm not out hunting ghosts to-night.I've got something better to do. I've got lessons to get ready.And you'd find nothing, anyway, and maybe the thing would jump outon you. I've heard of such things." And Lewis drew his coat tighteraround him and shuddered.
"Jimmy, will you come?" said Frank. "David can stay here and keepwatch to see if anything else happens."
"I'll go," said Jimmy.
"Me, too," said the Wee One. "I'm big enough to keep you all out oftrouble, and if any ghost dare give me any of its lip"--he drew outhis chest and squared off at the imaginary assailant.
"Lewis, you can stay here with David if you want to do your lessons,but be sure you shut the window, for I've known of ungentlemanlyghosts stepping right in through one if they happened to find itopen," said Jimmy.
"Are you afraid, David?"
"No, indeed," said David. "Besides, I'm not alone. Isn't Lewis hereto take care of me if anything should come? But I guess we'll be allright. You are the only fellows that are likely to get into danger."
The boys started off at once, and soon reached the field by wayof the path down the hill. They headed for a clump of trees by theboat-house, near which they had first seen the Thing. The crescentmoon had dropped considerably, and the light was dim enough, but theyheld bravely on. Once Jimmy stepped on a twig of something, whichsnapped under his foot, and the three boys almost leaped into the air.
"Gee! how you scared me," said Frank.
"I'd have run if I hadn't been stuck to the spot," said the Wee One."Please watch out where you step and don't do it again. My nerves arebad, with all the hard work I've been through this fall." They gotanother start as a night bird whirred up from the branches of the bigelm nearby, but as Frank was determined to go on, the other two wouldnot leave him.
Presently they stood on the boat-house float and peered all around.There was no sound but the gurgle of the river as it flowed past,dark and silent. A little white mist was rising from the water, andthe place was damp and chill. Even the song of the frogs, whichmight have lent a little cheerfulness to the place, was hushed. Theylistened and looked, but they might have been on a desert island inthe middle of the Pacific.
"Gee whiz, it's a melancholy looking place; let's get back," said theWee One. "Whatever the thing is, it isn't here. I'd rather be up onthe hill. Let's go."
"Hold on there," said Frank. "I'm trying to trace the course of theThing. Down here we can't see the dormitory lights, and I don't thinkwe can see them till we get through that bunch of trees. Consequentlywe couldn't see anything that was here if we were in our room."
"No, we couldn't, but what has that got to do with it?" said the WeeOne, impatiently. "We'll get our deaths of cold here." But the shiverthat the Wee One gave was not entirely from the cold. Now that hewas on it, the mission that looked like a lark from the comfortablylighted room in the dormitory took on a different aspect.
Frank was already leaving the float, where there seemed to be nosense in staying longer. He climbed the path up the bank and went outinto the open field.
"There," he said, "you can see our light. It was just here, I think,we saw the Thing the first time, and it headed off down towards thefootball stand, this way," and he turned his steps down the river.Looking, he saw both the boys standing a little way back. "Aren't youcoming?" he said.
"Oh, what's the use chasing the old thing? We can do it in themorning as well," said the Wee One. "It's too late to-night. Come onup to the room. It was probably only a shadow, anyway."
"No, I'm going ahead, and if you fellows want to go back, you maygo back. I'm going to take a look down by that football stand," andhe turned his face in that direction and stepped out briskly. "Theywould think we were great ninnies if we went back without doing whatwe started to do."
"Hold on, Frank, I'll come," said Jimmy. "I don't want you trapesingaround alone down here."
"Well, I suppose I might as well go along, too," said the Wee One,who preferred the company of the others, even on a ghost hunt, totraversing the field all alone. So he, too, swung in behind Jimmy,and the three went Indian file down along the river path. Theystepped carefully and looked on each side of them. A couple ofhundred yards further along loomed the dark shadow of the footballstand.
"That's where I think it went, down behind the stand. There's quite ahigh bank there, and some bushes grow at the edge of the river," saidFrank, holding on his course. The others came reluctantly along, notat all pleased with the adventure. The football stand was just ahead,and the shadow it cast was as black as velvet. The space between thestand and the river looked like a pocket, so dark was it, and theriver itself murmured along, singing a mournful tune at their left.
"S-s-s--! what was that?" said Jimmy. "I thought I heard a noiseahead." The three boys came together, and grabbed each other. Theylistened with all their ears.
"There's certainly something there," whispered Frank, "and it'smoving about, don't you hear it? Come on, we'll see what it is;"but before he could take a step ahead both Jimmy and the Wee Onegrabbed him by the arms. But he shook himself clear of them, and wentstealthily ahead, walking on tip-toe. There was nothing else left forFrank's companions but to follow. They felt their hair rising, andat every step they took they glanced uneasily to right and left, asthough in deadly fear that something would spring from the bushes,and grab them with wet and clammy hands.
Again there was a sound as of something moving in the darkness justahead, and the boys drew close together again and waited. Theythemselves were in the shadow of the stand by this time, and thenoise came from a point apparently only a few yards ahead. Suddenlythe moon, which had been behind a cloud, shone out faintly and theboys could see something moving back and forth about half way downthe stand.
"Come on," said Frank, "we'll rush it."
"We will not do anything of the kind," said the Wee One. "You can'ttell what it might be."
"Well, I'll go alone, then," said Frank, in a whisper, "I'm going tofind out what that is."
"I'll go with you," said Jimmy, quietly. He was not going to let hisold chum take desperate chances alone.
The boys, however, were saved the necessity of "rushing it," for thenoise began to grow louder, and resolved itself into a definite stepwhich came in their direction. They squeezed themselves back againstthe big uprights of the stand and waited, hardly knowing what toexpect. In another moment the footsteps had come opposite to theirhiding-place, and Frank closely followed by Jimmy, sprang out intothe path and grappled with something. Down they went on the ground,a general mix-up from which proceeded groans and grunts. FinallyFrank's voice rose clear:
"I've got it, strike a match."
The Wee One struck a match with shaking fingers, and when it blazedup it showed the scared face of no other a person than Gleason--theold Codfish!
"Holy Moses in the bulrushes!" said that individual, "what do youmean by jumping on a fellow that way, knocking him down and nearlychoking the daylights out of him?" gasped the Codfish, as soon as hehad gulped down enough breath to fill his lungs.
"Well, I'll be hanged," said Frank, ruefully, "I thought you were theghost. Pardon me, old man."
"Well, at first I thought you were the same thing, but when we'd beens
crapping around here on the ground for about a minute I thought youwere the devil for sure and all. My, you little rooster, I didn'tknow you had so much strength. You nearly choked the life out of me."
"What are you doing down here, anyway?" said Frank, suspiciously. "Ithought you were going over to the library."
"Well, I did go over to the library, but I've heard a lot about therebeing a ghost down here, and I came down to investigate it myself."
"And we were down on the same errand. It's a good joke," and the boyshad a good laugh there together in the shade of the stand.
Together they retraced their steps to Warren Hall, where theyfound David and Lewis holding the fort at the window. Both wereconsiderably alarmed, for they had not expected the friends to be outso late. The chapel bell had just tolled the third quarter after nineo'clock. Lewis had been suggesting the organization of a searchingparty, believing that the apparition had turned on the investigatorsand thrown them into the river.
The whole story was gone over for the amusement of Lewis and David,and they entered into the general fun. Then they agreed that nothingshould be said of the adventure outside, because it was too good ajoke; but somehow it leaked out, and was all around the school beforenoon of the next day.
The matter even spread to the Milton papers, and that afternoonthere was a half-column article in the Milton _Record_, telling ofthe encounter on Queen's field between Frank Armstrong and the ghostwhich had been haunting the place for some time. Frank was givengreat credit for having the bravery to follow the thing, whatever itmight be.
Of course, that was enough to set the whole school by the ears, andevery night there were watching parties, but the ghost did not makeits appearance again, at least while the watchers were around. Andgradually the excitement about it died away. The officers of theschool did not take much stock in the stories, believing, they said,that it was probably the beam from some searchlight which reflectedfrom some window on the yard, and played fantastic tricks on the eyesof the beholders. Frank and Jimmy and the ones who had seen it themost frequently knew it was not a mere shadow, but there was nothingto do about it but to wait.
"I'm going to get it yet," Frank said to David. "Ghost or no ghost,I'm going to chase it down."
"It may never appear again," said David.
"I think it will. We haven't seen the last of it."
Gleason, who was at his desk, was listening to the conversation."What do you think about it, Gleason?" asked Frank.
"Oh, I'm not much of a judge of such things, but I suppose it willshow its nose some time again and scare us all out of our boots whenwe least expect it. I wouldn't wonder if we had an appearance soon,it's about time."
"What makes you think so?"
"Oh, I don't know, I just feel that way."
"Well," returned Frank, "I'm too busy with my work just now to chaseit, but it better look out."
"Better let it alone, it may hurt you."
"What makes you think so? I thought you said you were no judge ofghosts a minute ago!"
"Well, all I know is that I'm not going hunting it again. Once wasenough."
Nothing more was said that night, but the next night, shortly afterthe early dusk had fallen, Gleason, who had been bending over hisstudies at the table, got up, stretched himself, and said:
"Well, I guess I'll go over to the library a little while. I'll beback in an hour or so." He went out and shut the door behind him.
He was no sooner out of sight than Frank slammed his book down on thedesk, startling David.
"I have a notion there's going to be an appearance to-night.Something in my bones tells me there is something on foot, and theghost is going to walk, or glide, or fly, or something. And, by thehocus pocus, I'm going to find out which means of locomotion it uses,and whether it is vapor or blood and bones."
"How, I'd like to know?" inquired David.
"See this perfectly fine piece of cord? Well, it's about a hundredfeet long, a nice hempen cord, big enough for ghost or man to hanghimself on. Now, I'm going to tie one end of this to that big oaktree down on the bank, and the other end to a stake at the corner ofthe gymnasium. Whatever the blooming thing is, it will have to gopast that string. It seems to float right through the air, and if itreally does that then I'll have to guess again. But I have a notionit doesn't float, and if it walks, there's going to be a tumble forit, for this nice little piece of cord will be four or five feet offthe ground.
"You shoot up and get Jimmy and Lewis," Frank continued, "and I'llshoot down and hitch up my trap. Have them come to the bank rightunder our window, and we'll wait there and see what happens." Frankwas off with a rush to do his part of the work, and David startedon his errand. In ten or fifteen minutes Frank had accomplishedhis purpose, and was back, waiting at the bank behind Warren Hall,alongside the trunk of a big oak, protected from the cold of the lateNovember night by a thick sweater and heavy cap. He was joined therea few minutes later by the three boys and the Wee One; for on the wayover they had run across the latter and brought him along.
When the new arrivals came to the meeting-place, the Wee One wantedto know what it was all about. Frank gave a whispered account of whathe had done.
"Yes, but what gives you the notion that the great scene from Macbethis coming off to-night?"
"Never mind, I just feel that it is, and I wanted you fellows to seeit. All we have to do is to watch here and keep out of sight."
"If you expect us to watch here long with you," said the Wee One,"you should have provided a gas stove or something. It's blitheringcold." The boys huddled up close together, and waited while theminutes passed without anything happening.
"My opinion of it is, that you're a bum guesser. Get us out of ourcosey corners just to see how wrong you could be," grumbled the WeeOne.
"Keep your nerve, Big Fellow," retorted Frank. "'Everything comes tohim who waits,' so the copybook of my fast vanishing childhood toldme. The night is only begun. I say, Lewis, will you run over and lookin the library and see if the Codfish is there?"
"Run over yourself," suggested Lewis.
"'Fraid cat. I can't go," said Frank. "I'm stage manager of this act,and I can't leave the job."
"I'll go," said the Wee One. "It will keep me from freezing," and hedashed off. He was back in a few minutes, and reported that Gleasonhad been there, but had gone a few minutes before. One of the fellowswho knew Gleason was positive that he had gone out, probably to hisroom.
"Why did you want to know?" added the messenger.
"Well, I didn't want him messing around here. He'd think we werecrazy, sitting out here on the cold ground, waiting for a spirit tomake its appearance."
"Well, if it doesn't indicate its presence in about three shakes ofa lamb's tail, I, for one, will be after wishing you a hearty goodni----"
He paused in the middle of his sentence and pointed. There over theclump of trees near the boat-house rose the Thing. It seemed to comeright out of the trees, and headed across the field in the directionof Warren, just as it had done before. The boys watched it with batedbreath, as it approached them. Lewis, who had been a little way downthe bank, now hastily got to his feet and went to the rear of thegroup, ready to make a flying retreat if necessary, but meanwhilekeeping the others in front of him as a measure of present safety.On the Thing came till it was within a hundred yards or so of wherethey were hidden, then it stopped and appeared to go backwards in thedirection of the football stand and the river.
No one moved. They sat watching, expecting every moment that itwould disappear as it had in the past. And it did disappear, but notjust in that way. All of a sudden the sound of a yell floated up tothe ears of the watchers. The white thing took a curious circularmotion in the moonlight and sank to the ground; but it did notdisappear, instead it seemed to flop around and then lay quiet.
"Come on, fellows," yelled Frank. "David, you stay here," and hestarted to run in the direction of the ghost as fast as his legswould carry him. Jimmy and the Wee One followed him. I
n a minute ortwo they were up to the ghost. There seemed to be two of it, onewhite and the other black. The white thing lay in a heap on the grassand the black thing rolled around in agony.
"O Lord, I'm killed, I'm killed. My arms and my legs are all broken."
"Great Scott! it's the Codfish!" cried Jimmy. "Here, help him. He'shurt."
The three boys got on their knees beside the repentant ghost.
"I was just doing it for fun," he said. "I learned to walk on stiltsthis summer. Oh, my arms! and I thought it would be a good joke tostart a scare in the school--so I got a sheet--and wrapped it aroundme down there in the woods--and then walked around here and--downbehind the football stand, where I hid the stilts--Oh, I know I'mgoing to die!" This confession came out in gasps, for the fall overFrank's cord, hampered as the "ghost" had been by the entanglingsheet, had been a severe one. But, fortunately, it had broken nobones, and the worst damage it had done the Codfish was to knock allthe wind out of his body.
He was a very humble ghost as the investigators helped him up to hisroom that night.
"But for heaven's sake don't tell any one about it. I'd never hearthe last of it," he begged. But like the other joke on the Codfish,the story somehow got out and the "ghost" was guyed about his tumblefor the rest of his school course.
And the next day the Milton _Record_ had another story of how FrankArmstrong trapped the mystery of Queen's School. It was the sensationof the year.
Frank Armstrong at Queens Page 19