Part 12 (1/2)
The cries came from Chet Morton. Frank and Joe, starting up, blinked sleepily.
”Chet's having a nightmare,” thought Joe.
But as he became wider awake, he saw a tall shadowy figure hovering over the bundle that was Chet MortonI
CHAPTER XVII.
Help!
As frank and Joe got out of their sleeping bags, to spring upon the intruder, Chet Morton unexpectedly began to guffaw.
”Aw, stop it! Ha-ha! Cut it out, will you?”
The black figure had not moved, but Chet was thras.h.i.+ng about on the ground, laughing convulsively.
”Chet!” Joe cried as he groped for his flashlight. Then he muttered to Frank, ”Has he gone out of his mind?”
”N-no,” gasped Chet. ”Stop licking my face, Mystery! How can a fellow talk?”
Two flashlight beams illuminated the scene in the same instant. Standing nearby was the mute boy, Simon. The little beagle, with tail whipping about happily, was leaping on Chet with fierce affection.
140.
141 ”Oh boy!” Joe exclaimed, grinning. ”You gave us a scare, Simon.”
”We can't keep Mystery with us now,” said Frank. ”We don't know where we'll be from one day to the next.”
Scooping up Mystery with a quick movement, Frank thrust the animal into Simon's arms. ”Simon, please look after our dog a little longer. Okay?”
To their astonishment, Simon placed the beagle on the ground. Then, pointing quickly at Frank, Joe, and Chet in succession, he waved them away frantically with both arms.
”He says for us to clear out,” interpreted Joe. ”He must mean we're in some danger! What is it, Simon?”
Frank had already put pad and pencil into the mute boy's hands. Now, while Frank and Joe shone their lights on the page, he quickly sketched a picture of 47 a small, windowless cabin, with a gun barrel pointing menacingly from the door!
”Donner's place,” Joe muttered. ”And he has a gun. Well, we knew that already.
We weren't going near there tonight, anyhow.”
”Hold on,” Frank warned. ”He's drawing something else.”
Simon had not yet finished. Next to the cabin he drew sketches of two owls seated side by side. With amazing skill, Simon sketched in the fierce 142 owl eyes and beak of each. But one of the birds had high-pointed ear tufts; the other seemed to have no ears at all, and had a round, masklike face similar to that of a monkey.
”Great sketches,” Joe commented. One of his hobbies was ornithology. Now, studying the drawings, he told the others, ”The one with the prominent ears is the screech owl. He does the wailing. And monkey face, here, is the barn owl.
He does the screeching.”
”Hey! What are you doing?” Chet asked suddenly.
Simon, after drawing two very accurate pictures, suddenly took his pencil and crossed them both out. Once again he waved the boys away from him.
”I don't get it,” said Frank, puzzled. ”Are you afraid of the owls?” Simon shook his head vigorously.
”Do you connect their cries with the witch of Black Hollow and want to protect us from her?” Again Simon shook his head.
”Maybe he means Donner is going to shoot the owls,” suggested Chet. More denials.
”I give up,” said Joe. ”But listen, Simon. Witches, owls, Donner-n.o.body is going to drive us out of these woods! We're staying! Get it?”
Peering intently at the determined faces of his new friends, the strange boy looked frustrated. He gathered up Mystery in his arms, and as 143 silently as he had appeared, glided off among the trees.
”Wish I knew what he was driving at,” Chet remarked.
Meanwhile, Frank and Joe had switched off their flashlights to save the batteries. As the three stood together in silence, a faint flicker appeared in the sky.
”Lightning,” Frank commented. ”Very far away as yet. Must mean a storm's coming, though. I wish there were a cave, without rattlesnakes, for us to take shelter in.”
”Don't worry,” Joe a.s.sured him. ”The storm's far away; it may never reach here. Let's get some shut-eye.”
Thoroughly tired, the three friends lay down once more and fell asleep immediately. Some time later Joe suddenly found himself wide awake. His heart was pounding violently. The luminous dial of his watch told him that nearly two hours had pa.s.sed.
The darkness seemed thicker, the air heavier than a few hours earlier.
”Frank! Chet! Did you hear it?”
”Yes,” came Frank's tense, whispered answer. ”There it is again!”
The heavy, oppressive silence was shattered by a scream-a horrible drawn-out cry. Again it sounded, this time harsher and higher-pitched. Then a third time.
144 ”That's a human being in trouble!” exclaimed Frank, leaping to his feet.
”Quick! Roll up your sleeping bags and shove 'em out of sight underneath these bushes. Let's go! Somebody needs our help!”
”This witch may be more real than we thought,” said Chet as he hurriedly slipped into his shoes. ”Do you suppose she's-she's torturing Captain Maguire?”
Fully awake now, and every sense alert, the boys listened intently while the blood-chilling screams were repeated. To add to the weirdness, the woods were illumined by a flash of lightning.
”That cry was in the hollow, and not too far from here,” Frank directed.
48 ”Let's go!”
”Turn on all flashlights!” Joe called as he rushed forward. ”Speed is important!”
The three boys dashed along the path into Black Hollow.