Part 16 (1/2)

As a matter of duty he ran forward to where that strange figure in white had been marching to and fro, but just as he fully expected there was not a single sign of the late presence.

So Elmer walked back to where his anxious chums were crouching, craning their necks in the endeavor to ascertain what was going on. He found them ready to ply him with questions; and Toby's first act was to free himself from suspicion.

”George did it, Elmer!” he hastened to say; ”with his silly little sneeze. It sure gave us all a shock, and when I thought to look again that bally ghost was gone.”

”But how could I help it?” complained the guilty culprit. ”I never had the least idea it was coming, when all at once it gripped me hard. If you'd offered me half a million dollars right then not to sneeze, I couldn't have earned thirty cents. It took me just as quick as that,”

and he snapped his fingers to ill.u.s.trate how impotent he had been in the grasp of a necessity.

”I've been there myself, George,” said Elmer, kindly, because he knew how badly the other scout must feel on account of having upset all their plans; ”and just as you say, sometimes a sneeze comes so fast you can't keep it back if your life depended on it. Of course it was unfortunate, because in another minute I'd have been close enough to have done all I wanted.”

”But my stars! Elmer,” exclaimed Lil Artha, in dismay, ”you didn't expect to jump that spooky thing all alone, I hope?”

Elmer laughed, which act proved to the distressed George that his offense could not set so heavily on the mind of the scout master after all.

”Certainly not, Lil Artha,” Elmer told the long-legged scout; ”I expected to drop back, and get the rest of you before anything was done.

But accidents will happen even in the best regulated scout troops, and that was something n.o.body could help. Better luck next time.”

”Then, suh, you don't mean to give up this ghost hunt?” asked Chatz, with a ring of exultation in his voice.

”Not if we have another chance to hook up with the mystery,” replied Elmer.

”But tell us, weren't you close enough up to see whether it was a real ghost or not?” demanded George, arousing to his old self again.

Chatz could be heard giving a little indignant snort. He was evidently unable to understand how any one could doubt after seeing what they had.

Chatz, with all his leaning toward a belief in spirits, had never before come so close to an object that had all the earmarks of a ghost; and he was correspondingly elated.

”I guess I was all of that,” Elmer replied, quietly.

”And what do you think about it, Elmer?” continued George, persistently.

”We want to know!” added Toby, determined to get his word in somehow.

”There's a whole lot to tell,” said Elmer, ”and this isn't just the place to begin the story. So let's get back to the camp, where we can sit around the fire for another half hour, while I enlighten you on some things I happen to know.”

What he said gave the others a new thrill. For the first time some of the scouts became aware that their leader had all along been in possession of certain facts in connection with the strange appearance of this reputed ghost. One or two there were, notably Chatz Maxfield, who had suspected something of the kind, owing to the queer way Elmer had often smiled while the others were disputing fiercely concerning the possible ident.i.ty of the specter.

”That sounds good to me, Elmer,” announced Lil Artha, without a second's hesitation, ”and for one I'm ready to skip out of this place. It's raw and spooky enough here to give us all pneumonia. Let's get alongside a cheery old camp fire; and then you to spin the yarn. It wouldn't surprise me so much if I heard that you'd known the pedigree of our ghost all along, and was just holding back to see what fun you could shake out of the situation.”

”No, you're wrong there, Lil Artha!” declared the scout master, earnestly; ”that isn't so. I began to have my suspicions, but up to now had found nothing to confirm them enough to warrant me telling what I knew, or thought. But the time has come, because this thing has gone far enough. Lend me your little flash-light torch, Lil Artha. The rest of you wait here for me again, please.”

As Elmer hurried away they noticed that he was making along the hall directly toward the spot where they had recently seen the weird white object that moved forward and back, again and again, with the regularity of clockwork.

”He's gone to see if he can find any footprints in the dust on the floor?” suggested Ty Collins.

At that Chatz gave another grunt, as though to his superior mind it was a very foolish remark; because ghosts never left any tracks behind them.

But as he seemed to be in the minority, and knew it was hardly wise to invite another verbal attack, Chatz chose to seal his lips and remain dumb. His triumph would come later on, when they were seated around the glowing fire, and Elmer chose to explain his views of the matter, gleaned at close range.

A short time pa.s.sed thus. The scouts were keyed up to top-notch pitch, and the seconds dragged fearfully while they awaited the coming of their leader. They could see him moving about, by means of the little glow cast by the hand electric torch he had borrowed from Lil Artha; who felt that his fetching such a useful article along had vindicated his wisdom. Scouts should look ahead, and prepare themselves for all sorts of possible needs. That was what they were learning to do day after day, as they strove to earn new honors, and reach a higher plane in the great organization.