Part 9 (1/2)
Peter dropped his bag.
”That's what you said it was, back there.”
”Did I? Well, maybe it isn't so far as that now. Let me carry your bag a while.”
Thus taunted, he rose, took the bag in his left hand and followed.
”City folks aren't much on doin' for themselves, are they? The taxi system is very poor down here yet.”
Her face was expressionless, but he knew that she was laughing at him.
He knew also that his bag weighed more than any army pack. It seemed too that she was walking much faster than she had done before--also that there was malicious humor in the smile she now turned on him.
”Seems a pity to have such a long walk--with nothin' at the end of it.”
”I don't mind it in the least,” gasped Peter. ”And if you don't object to my asking you just one more question,” he went on grimly, ”I'd like you to tell me what is frightening Mr. Jonathan K. McGuire?”
”Oh, McGuire. I don't know. n.o.body does. He's been here a couple of weeks now, cooped up in the big house. Never comes out. They say he sees ghosts and things.”
”Ghosts!”
She nodded. ”He's hired some of the men around here to keep watch for them and they say some detectives are coming. You'll help too, I guess.”
”That should be easy.”
”Maybe. I don't know. My aunt works there. She's housekeeper. It's spooky, she says, but she can't afford to quit.”
”But they haven't _seen_ anything?” asked Peter incredulously.
”No. Not yet. I guess it might relieve 'em some if they did. It's only the things you don't see that scare you.”
”It sounds like a great deal of nonsense about nothing,” muttered Peter.
”All right. Wait until you get there before you do much talkin'.”
”I will, but I'm not afraid of ghosts.” And then, as an afterthought, ”Are you?”
”Not in daylight. But from what Aunt Tillie says, it must be something more than a ghost that's frightenin' Jonathan K. McGuire.”
”What does she think it is?”
”She doesn't know. Mr. McGuire won't say. He won't allow anybody around the house without a pa.s.s. Oh, he's scared all right and he's got most of Black Rock scared too. He was never like this before.”
”Are you scared?” asked Peter.
”No. I don't think I am really. But it's spooky, and I don't care much for shootin'.”
”What makes you think there will be shooting?”
”On account of the guns and pistols. Whatever the thing is he's afraid of, he's not goin' to let it come near him if he can help it. Aunt Tillie says that what with loaded rifles, shotguns and pistols lyin'
loose in every room in the house, it's as much as your life is worth to do a bit of dustin'. And the men--Shad Wells, Jesse Brown, they all carry automatics. First thing they know they'll be killin' somebody,”