CHAPTER XXII
A THRILLING DISCOVERY
It was ten o'clock before the girls finally came down, and it was stilllater before the boys appeared. Mrs. Gilligan and Billie had hadbreakfast together, and Billie had confided to the older woman hersuspicions in regard to the ghostly player of the old piano.
"But we won't tell the boys and girls," Billie had said, with adelightful sense of conspiracy. "We'll wait and see if it works."
As the young people came in, looking famished, Mrs. Gilligan rose and putsome cold muffins in the oven to heat.
"You won't get very much to eat," she warned them. "Billie and I had ourbreakfast at a respectable hour, and now you've got to take what's left."
"I don't care what you give us, as long as it's food," said Ferd, lookingabout him anxiously. "I'm just about starved to death."
"It seems to me I've heard that remark somewhere before," said Billie,laughing at him. "Hurry up and eat, you folks," she added, as she set adish of fried hominy before them. "We girls haven't really made athorough examination of the attic yet, and I'm just dying to poke intoall the corners."
"Yes, I always did like attics," said Laura, adding, as she swallowed adelicious morsel: "But, I like fried hominy more!"
"Won't you come too?" Violet asked the boys, as, their breakfast over,the girls started up to the attic. "We'd love to have you and you mightfind it interesting."
"No, thanks," said Teddy decidedly. "I can think of lots better thingsto do than go roaming about a hot old attic when the thermometer isninety-six in the shade. I'm going for a walk in the woods. How aboutit, fellows?"
"Yes, and see if we can come across those old fellows with the beardsthat told us the corn-fish story," chuckled Chet. "You know," he added, "Ihave wondered several times since then what the old fellows were up to.Somehow, I'm mighty sure they didn't tell the truth."
"I tell you what!" cried Ferd eagerly. "Let's push on in the direction wewere going the other day and see what's being pulled off in there."
"Yes, and get shot most likely," sniffed Laura. "I don't think much ofthat idea."
"Well, we didn't ask you to come, did we?" Ferd asked.
"No, and I don't think it was very nice of you, after we invited you toour party," Violet put in, trying to look aggrieved.
"Oh, please won't you come with us?" asked Ferd, bowing elaboratelybefore her.
Laura gave him a little push which precipitated him in a rather abruptmanner into a chair and completely spoiled his gallantry.
"I'll get even with you," he threatened good-naturedly, during the laughthat followed at his expense. "But say, fellows, you haven't answered myquestion. Are you game?"
"Sure we're game," they answered, and Chet added, as he picked up a stickhe had found in the woods several days before and had modeled into anexcellent club: "If they start any funny business they'll find me readyfor them."
"Oh, boys, do be careful!" Billie begged, really afraid that their loveof adventure would get them into trouble. "I didn't like the looks ofthose men. And they had clubs."
"Maybe--" said Violet in an awed voice. "Maybe they're--what do you callthem--the fellows that make whiskey--"
"Moonshiners?" Teddy helped her out, and the boys shouted with laughter.
"All the more reason why we should find them out," said Ferd, as theystarted from the room. "It's our duty," he turned in the doorway to makethem a bow, "to turn them over to justice."
"It must be a disease," laughed Billie, as the girls ascended the oldstaircase together.
"Well, I hope they live through it," added Laura, with a chuckle.
"I found a funny old closet yesterday," said Billie, as they came outinto the musty attic. "I was just going to open it and see what wasinside when you girls called me for something. Here it is," indicating asmall door, the top of which was only on a level with their shoulders.
"I never saw so many queer things in one place in my life," saidLaura, peering down as Billie opened the door. "I didn't know theygrew that way."
"We'll have to stoop down to get in here," said Billie, poking her headinto the stuffy dark hole disclosed. "And look, girls!" she exclaimedexcitedly, as her eyes became accustomed to the gloom. "The closet runsaway back an awfully long way, and there seems to be something bulky atthe other end of it."
"Well, let's go in," said Laura, giving Billie an impatient little push."We can't find anything by standing here. Billie, what's the matter?" forBillie had started back so suddenly that she had almost thrown Laura offher balance.
"It's another of those horrid old bats," she gasped, bending down as anindistinct little shape fluttered past her. "I shouldn't think they couldlive in the closet without air or anything to eat."
"It probably flew in when you opened the door the other day," Violetsuggested.
Once more Billie bent down and felt her way into the narrow closet.
"Don't try to stand up, girls," she cautioned. "You're apt to get anawful bump on the head."
"I've already had one," said Violet, rubbing the bumped spot tenderly."Goodness, it smells musty in here."
"Girls, it's a trunk!" cried Billie, leaning down to examine the bulkyobject she had seen at the other end. "A pretty big one, too, and oh," asshe attempted to lift one end, "awfully heavy."
"A trunk," Laura repeated excitedly. "That sounds interesting. Can't youpull it out, Billie?"
"I'll try," replied Billie, adding with a chuckle: "But Ishouldn't wonder if you girls would have to help by pulling me.My, but it's heavy!"
However, after much hauling and pulling, Billie finally succeeded inbacking out of the closet, pulling the trunk after her. Then standing upand brushing the hair out of her eyes, she regarded it gleefully.
"Everything in the house is mine," she reminded them, as she stooped downagain to examine the lock, "so I have a perfect right to look inanything I find."
"Well, nobody's arguing about that," said Laura, sitting down on thefloor, regardless of a fine coating of dust, and helping Billie in herexamination.
"Hasn't it any key?" asked Violet eagerly.
"Of course not, silly," Laura answered. "What would be the use of alocked trunk if you kept the key around where everybody could see it?"
"Well, I didn't even know it was locked," Violet said, ratherheatedly for her.
Billie jumped to her feet and gave the trunk a sudden jerk.
"Girls!" she cried, "did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" they chorused eagerly.
"But, didn't you hear it rattle when we pulled it out of the closet? Ithought so then. Now I'm sure. Oh, girls!"
"What is the matter, Billie?"
"I jerked the trunk," explained Billie, while the color tinged her face,"and it jingled! Yes it did, it actually jingled!"
"Billie!" cried Laura looking wide-eyed and awed, "do you mean it soundedlike _money_?"
For answer Billie reached down and gave the trunk another jerk. Sureenough, there was the unmistakable jingle of metal against metal asthough the trunk were filled with coins.
Their hearts beating fast, hardly able to speak with excitement, thegirls stood and stared down at this new discovery.
"I--I feel like Captain Kidd!" gasped Billie, her cheeks crimson now."Like Captain Kidd when he found the treasure. Girls, do you really thinkit _is_ money?"
"It certainly sounds like it," said Violet in a voice tremulous withexcitement, as she reached down and gave the trunk another jerk just forthe fun of hearing its contents jingle.
"Well, let's get it downstairs," suggested Laura, wildly impatient to seethe treasure, if treasure it were. "We certainly can't open it ourselveswithout a key. Oh, if the boys were only at home!" she added with animpatient little stamp of her foot "It seems to me they're never aroundwhen you want them."
"Maybe we can call them back. They haven't had time to go far," saidBillie, stirred to instant action by the thought. "Come on Laura, youtake one end, Vi can steady it at the side, and we'll at least get thetr
unk downstairs. That's the way! Now then!"
After a good deal of pushing and lugging, and a spasm of fright when thetrunk almost fell on Laura, they finally succeeded in getting theirburden down to the second floor.
There the girls left it and started hastily down the stairs in pursuit ofthe boys. They had gone only half the way, however, when they werestartled by a tremendous crash and explosion outside and stood still,their hearts in their mouths.
"Oh, now what has happened?" cried Violet as they rushed down the rest ofthe steps and started for the front door.
Half way to the door Mrs. Gilligan met them, holding a rat trap in herhand from which hung, suspended, a dead rat.
"Where did you get that?" the girls cried in chorus.
"It's Mr. Rat, the piano player," said Mrs. Gilligan, adding as shepushed past them and ran to the door: "Did you hear that awful noiseoutside, girls?"
"Did we hear it?" they cried, following her.
"Oh, Mrs. Gilligan, what do you suppose it was?" asked Violet, pressingclose to her.
"Somebody is probably hurt," answered the woman, adding as though toherself: "Terribly hurt! Hope it ain't the boys!"