The Go Ahead Boys and the Mysterious Old House Part 28

"Ever see any in the old Meeker House?"

"Yes," replied George, laughing again as he spoke.

"Well, why didn't you tell us that they were there? You let us go on and I think you helped us too to believe that the room was full of flying spooks."

"I didn't know that I was to blame," laughed George, "if you didn't know the difference between a spook and chimney-swallow."

"You must have put in a lot of work in that old house, George," broke in John.

"Work?" inquired George, staring blankly at his friend. "What do you mean? I never worked there in my life."

"Who put in that speaking tube that runs from the kitchen to the front room?" demanded John.

"I didn't," George said quietly.

"You mean you didn't do the work. I guess you knew it was put in and I guess too that you know who put it in."

George laughed, but did not directly reply to the implied question.

"We have found out about your old speaking tube," continued John. "That was a great trick for you to play on your old friends."

Grant, who was listening intently to the conversation, in which up to this time he had taken no part, now said, "Then you two fellows think you have found out all about the strange things in the old Meeker House, do you?"

"We didn't say that," replied Fred. "All we say is that we have found out about the wings that we heard and the chattering in the chimney and the speaking tube that ran from the kitchen into the front room. My, but I was scared when I heard my name called there," he added.

George laughed loudly as he said, "You don't need to tell me that, Pyg.

I wouldn't have believed that any living creature could have made its legs fly as fast as yours did that night."

"I was trying to keep up with the rest of the fellows," retorted Fred.

"I had to go some to do that."

"Now that you have found out all these things you're not afraid to go back there any time, are you?" inquired George.

"Yes, sir, I am," said Fred.

"What?"

"Because we haven't found out everything. There's something strange about that place that I don't understand yet."

"Why, what happened?" inquired George quickly.

"We heard voices upstairs."

"Was that the reason why you were moving so fast across the yard?"

laughed George.

"Laugh all you want to," said Fred, "but that's what we heard."

"Probably your tramp was talking to himself," suggested Grant.

"No, sir," spoke up John promptly. "That wasn't it at all. Besides there was more than one voice."

"You didn't hear the automobile-horn, did you?" inquired George.

"No, we didn't. We heard all I wanted to without hearing that. It just made my flesh creep to hear those voices upstairs and coming down the stairway."

"Was there anything strange about the voices?" asked George.

"Yes, sir, there was."

"Well, I tell you what I'll do," said Grant promptly. "I'll dare both of you to come back here to the old Meeker House after dinner to-night."

"I'll do it," said Fred promptly.

"I'll give you another dare better than that," said John. "I'll dare you and George to go back there right now."

"Will you come too?" demanded George.

"We have just come from there," said John. "We know what there is there and you don't. Now we dare you both to go back right now."

George glanced a moment questioningly at Grant and then without a word being spoken promptly turned the car and started back toward the mysterious old house.

Apparently all thoughts of dinner had been forgotten or ignored. Fred and John looked at each other and laughed derisively, but neither spoke until at last the car was halted under the old oak tree.

Quickly George and Grant leaped out and started across the intervening field.

Fred and John left to themselves waited until their friends had gone to the rear of the building and then the former said quickly, "Let's take the car and go back home. It will serve those fellows just right to leave them there."

John laughed as he agreed to the suggestion.

Avoiding all possible noise they turned the car about and started down the road. They had gone only a short distance, however, before Fred suddenly clutched the arm of his companion who was driving and said, "Listen, String! Wasn't that a call or a shout?"

As he spoke, Fred in great excitement looked behind him in the direction of the mysterious old dwelling house. Without a word, John turned the car about and started swiftly on his way back to the old tree.

CHAPTER XXIII-LED BY A MAN

When the boys arrived at the familiar place in the road they were startled by a renewal of the shouts from the house. It was the faint sound of these calls which had alarmed them and caused them to turn back on their way.

Even while they were hesitating as to whether or not they should leave the car and run to the house to aid their friends, who apparently were in dire trouble, they saw two forms emerge from the front door. They instantly recognized George and Grant, for the light was still sufficient to enable them to see quite plainly across the fields. Both boys were running at their highest speed.

Blowing the horn of the automobile and shouting, both John and Fred did their utmost to call the attention of their friends to the fact that they were awaiting their coming. That their calls were heard was speedily manifest when both George and Grant, turning slightly in the direction in which they were speeding, ran toward the great tree.

At that moment George stumbled over some unseen object and fell headlong upon the ground. His companion stopped a moment and Fred and John watched him as he lifted George to his feet and then both boys renewed their flight.