CHAPTER XXVI.
PIPER MEETS THE GHOST.
Trembling violently, Piper looked in vain for the missing boat. For amoment or two he thought it possible he had made a mistake, and thatthis was not the place where he had landed; but further investigationconvinced him against his will that the boat had been left there. Thecause of its disappearance he could not understand, and for the timebeing he was too excited to reason about it. Had he been calmer, hemight have become convinced that it had not drifted away of its ownaccord.
Twilight was enfolding the eastern shore of the lake, and, gazingyearningly in that direction, Sleuth saw the gleam of a light, which hefelt certain came from the campfire on Pleasant Point. Doubtless hiscompanions were there, all unaware of his frightful predicament, andeven if he were to shout they might not respond. Hearing wild criescoming faintly across the lake, was it not possible, nay probable, thatthey would consider it in the nature of another “manifestation” from thehaunted island? And should he fire his gun, would that bring them? Atonce he remembered, with a sensation of reprehension over his ownneglect, that he had failed to take a supply of loaded cartridges, thetwo in the gun being the only ones in his possession. Were he todischarge them, he would be left practically unarmed upon the island.
“I can’t do that,” he whispered tremulously. “I can’t fire even oneshot, for, if I should have to shoot at anything with the other barreland I missed, I’d be in a dreadful fix. Oh, what’s become of that boat?What a fool I was to land here alone!”
In a feverish, unreasoning way he began hurrying pantingly along theshore, looking for the boat. This was a silly thing to do, but in a timeof great excitement or distraction he is a remarkably self-possessedperson who does not lose his head and do something foolish.
In order to follow the shore line of the island, Piper was compelled, atone spot where a low bluff rose directly from the water’s edge, to enterthe border of the stunted pines which crowded close to the very brink ofthe bluff. He hesitated for a moment and drew back, shuddering; butalmost immediately, holding the gun ready for use, he went forward,crouching low beneath the thick trees.
A sigh of relief was on his lips, and he was about to step forth againupon the open beach when, with a sudden tremendous jerk of every nervein his body, he stopped. Barely more than thirty feet away he beheld acanoe that was raising scarcely a ripple on the lake as it glided slowlyand silently toward the island. And it was not at all remarkable thatthe sight of the occupants of that canoe should mightily startle the boywho crouched in the pines.
In the prow of the canoe, apparently waiting to spring ashore, stood ahuge, shaggy, gray dog. A man wielded the paddle—a man whose face wasalmost hidden by a long white beard, and whose garments, from the hatupon his head to the shoes he wore, were in color snowy white. In thatmoment it must have seemed to Piper that he surely beheld the ghosts ofOld Lonely and his faithful dog.
Gently the canoe touched the gravelly beach, the dog leaping out atonce. The man followed and turned to grasp a thwart, with the evidentintention of pulling the canoe up.
A twig snapped beneath Piper’s feet as he stepped out of the pines andstraightened up, the gun lifted to his shoulder and levelled, althoughit trembled and wavered in his grasp. Both man and dog heard that faintsnapping sound. The former whirled quickly, while the latter bristledand growled.
“Stand still!” cried Sleuth chokingly. “Stand where you are, or I’llshoot! Keep your dog off, if you don’t want him riddled!”
Growling, with its teeth exposed, the dog seemed ready to spring at theboy, but instantly the creature’s master spoke.
“Here, Bob,” he said sharply. “Steady, sir! Down! down!”
The creature obeying its master’s commands, Sleuth felt his courage risewith a sudden bound, although his tremendous excitement was not in theleast abated. With an air of perplexed dismay the man remained standingat the water’s edge, his eyes fastened on the threatening figure of theboy. In that manner they gazed at each other for a few moments ofintense, nerve-tingling silence. Presently the man spoke.
“Put down that gun,” he said. “If it’s loaded, you’re liable to make amistake and shoot me.”
Exultantly Piper retorted:
“If you’re a ghost, it won’t hurt you to be shot; and if you’re not aghost, you’d better explain your actions mighty quick.”
“Put down the gun,” repeated the man angrily. “I’m no ghost.”
“Ah!” breathed Sleuth in tremendous satisfaction; and he lowered thegun.
“What are you doing here?” questioned the person in white.
“Perhaps I was looking for you,” was the answer.
Beneath his breath the man muttered a word or two, smothered, butexpressive of great annoyance and anger. The dog whined questioningly.Master of the situation, Piper waited, all the chill having gone fromhis body.
“I suspected you, you young rascal—I suspected you when you cameprowling around my cabin,” said the man. “You were rather clever withyour excuses and your pretence of great interest in my literary work,but I couldn’t help feeling that you had a hidden design.”
“Your premonition was correct, Mr. Granger,” said Sleuth. “Yourglibness, when you visited us at Pleasant Point, in spinning theromantic story of Lovers’ Leap and the fantastic tale of the hauntedisland aroused my suspicions. You told those yarns altogether too well.That’s a beautiful Santa Claus set of whiskers you’re wearing.”
The man stroked his beard and laughed shortly, in spite of himself.
“Up to date they have served my purpose very well,” he returned; “buthenceforth, as your remarkable cleverness has led you to catch on to thelittle game, I suppose I’ll have little use for them.”
“Your dog,” declared the triumphant boy, “was a dead give-away. You musthave kept him tied up the most of the time, but when I saw him and notedhis color, on the occasion of my friendly call upon you, I decidedinstantly that he would appear very well as a spook dog if seen in thedarkness or through the twilight of evening. I’ve watched you every daysince then, waiting for you to come here. At last my vigilance has beenfully rewarded.”
“Well, now,” said Mr. Granger, for the man in white was indeed thesomewhat seclusive young author, “you might come down here and give me ahand with the canoe. It’s light, and I can pull it up alone, as I havemany times, but I’m not adverse to your assistance.”
“The dog——”
“He won’t touch you. He’s the most harmless creature in the world.”
Piper descended at once, and together the man and boy lifted the lightcanoe, bore it across the narrow strip of beach and slid it into theshelter of some bushes, where it was entirely hidden from sight.
“Now,” said Granger, “if you wish a little amusement, I’ll show you howeasy it is to make intelligent people believe in ghosts. It’s about timefor a party from the hotel to come off in a boat with the keen desire ofbeholding the spirits of Old Lonely and his dog. They will approach thewestern side of the island. Come on.”
His nerves no longer quivering, Piper followed the man and the dog,chuckling to himself. All his fears of the black and gloomy pines hadbeen dispelled, and it was with real difficulty that he kept fromdancing and shouting. What would his friends say when he told them? Heswelled tremendously with pride and self-importance as he pictured themanner in which he would unfold to them the story of his amazingdiscernment and sagacity. Surely, it would be an hour of triumph.
By the easiest available course Granger led the way to the western sideof the island, pausing well within the shelter of the trees, yetselecting a place where he could command a view of the open lake in theimmediate vicinity. The lights of the hotel shone brightly at the baseof Lovers’ Leap. A gentle purple dusk was thickening upon the face ofthe water.
“They ought to appear within ten minutes,” said Granger in a low tone.“I want you to keep out of sight all the time, and I hope
you’ll promisenot to let them know by word or sign that you are here.”
“Go ahead,” said Sleuth. “I won’t expose you to them, and I’m reallyeager to watch the sport. But how do you know anyone is coming?”
“I received a message from the hotel, telling me that some of the guestswould come out tonight to look for Old Lonely’s spirit. One of the bellhops brought me the message.”
“Oh, yes,” giggled Sleuth; “I saw him. I was watching your sylvanretreat when he brought that message, but I thought it was one of yourstories returned from a publisher.”
“You’ve certainly put yourself to a lot of trouble,” muttered Granger.“As a doubting Thomas or Billy, you’re the real thing.”
In a few moments they heard the distant sound of oars and the low murmurof voices, and it was not long before, in the midst of the gloom, theybeheld a dark object slowly drawing near, and knew it was the boat fromthe hotel.
“Now,” said Granger softly, “keep perfectly still and watch mematerialize.”
He waited until the boat seemed to pause some rods from the shore. Itcontained a number of persons, whose words could be distinctly heard.One man was laughing in a boasting way as he told the others that it wasall a ridiculous piece of folly, but a nervous, excited woman wasbegging him to keep still.
Crouching, Granger put his hand on the dog, whispering a command:
“Sing, Bob—sing.”
Immediately the animal lifted its muzzle and gave vent to the mostdoleful howling imaginable. Within four feet of the creature, Piper felta momentary symptom of the emotion that had possessed him on theoccasion when his ears were first greeted by that awesome sound.
From the boat there came sudden little exclamations and screams, bothmasculine and feminine.
“I told you!” one of the ladies was heard repeating triumphantly. “I’veheard it before. Now watch; you’ll see something more.”
“Good boy, Bob,” whispered Granger, rising. “Easy, sir. Come.”
Very deliberately and very slowly he stepped forth from the darkness ofthe pines. In truth, he moved so slowly that at a distance, seen throughthe darkness, it might have seemed that he simply appeared, withouttaking any steps at all. Imitating his master, the dog likewise advanceduntil both stood out in view, with the dark trees as a background.
Still more excited exclamations rose from the party in the boat.
“There he is—there’s Old Lonely’s ghost!” palpitated the lady’s voice.“There’s his dog, too! See! see!”
“Let’s get nearer. Let’s land,” suggested a man. But, somehow, there wasa false note in his words, which seemed to betray that he was not aseager to put his feet on the island as he wished the others to thinkhim.
“I wouldn’t do it for all the money in the world,” declared the lady.“We’re near enough. Don’t move another inch toward that island.”
For thirty seconds, perhaps, Granger stood quite still; and then,stepping backward, he retreated as slowly, silently and deliberately ashe had advanced; and in this manner he must have made it seem to theoccupants of the boat that he actually faded and vanished from theirview like a wraith. The dog also retreated slowly, although it turnedabout to do so.
“Great work,” chuckled Piper, as Granger crouched beside him. “But whatif they do land?”
“They won’t,” was the whispered assurance. “They’ll go away directly.”
He was right. After lingering a few minutes, as if desiring again to seethe “ghost,” the party in the boat rowed away, their oars clanking inthe locks.