CHAPTER XII--A HASTY DEPARTURE
As the speed of the automobile was instantly decreased, Fred saidexcitedly, "Stop, George! I say it is time for us to find out about thisthing and quit all our foolishness."
"What do you want to do?" demanded George.
"I want to go into that old house and find out just what all thismystery means."
"I don't dare leave the car," said George.
"Then you stay here and look after it," retorted Fred. "Grant and I willmake our own inspections, won't we?" he added as he turned to hiscompanion.
Grant did not speak, but as he quickly leaped out of the car his examplewas at once followed by Fred and together the two boys started towardthe house, the dim outline of which could be seen before them.
It was an ideal summer night. There was no moon, but as there were notmany clouds in the sky the two boys were able to see about them in everydirection. Crickets noisily were proclaiming their presence and the notunmusical notes of the tree toads joined in a chorus that arose fromevery side.
In silence the boys approached the front door of the house and just asthey were about to enter there came again that mocking sound of anautomobile horn.
In spite of his declaration of his courage Fred instantly gripped hiscompanion's arm. Neither of the boys spoke as they halted for a momenton the stone door-step.
The startling noise of the horn was followed by sounds even moreunexpected. There were shouts and calls and cries issuing from withinthe building. In the midst of this strange confusion there was alsoheard the sound of laughter.
The combination at first appeared to be almost too strong for the nervesof the two Go Ahead boys. For an instant they turned and were lookingback at the road where George was waiting for them in his automobile.
"Come on," said Fred, his voice trembling in spite of his courageousattitude. "Come on in, Grant. We must find out about this thing."
Before Grant could reply, suddenly around the corner of the house twomen were seen. Both were running swiftly and apparently were unmindfulof the presence of the boys.
The two ghostly forms moved swiftly across the intervening field andwere apparently running directly toward the automobile in the road.
The sight was more than either Grant or Fred was able to endure. Withoutanother word both leaped from the stone steps and in their swiftestpaces ran down the old pathway eager to gain the shelter of the waitingautomobile.
"What's the trouble?" demanded George as his companions joined him."What's happened? Is there anything wrong?"
"Don't talk about it now," said Fred. "Put on all the speed you have gotand we'll tell you later what happened."
"I don't believe there's any such great need of haste," said Georgedryly. "Why not go back and find out what the cause of all the troubleis?"
"You may go if you want to," retorted Fred, "but I'm not going to try itagain to-night."
"The Go Ahead boys apparently are in motion, but not in the rightdirection," suggested George demurely.
"The right direction," declared Fred, "is straight toward your house."As he spoke he glanced again at the Meeker place and as he did sodiscovered the two ghostly forms that were still moving across thefield.
"Both of them came out of the house," he said in a loud whisper, "whilewe were on the front door-step."
"Oh, I guess not," said George tantalizingly. "It's probably two menthat took a short cut. They were coming from the other road."
"Don't you believe it!" maintained Fred stoutly. "They came out of thatold Meeker House. Didn't they, Grant?" he added, turning to his friendfor confirmation.
"Yes, they came out of the house," said Grant brusquely. It was plainthe boy was not enjoying the recollection of the swift flight which heand Fred had made to rejoin George.
"Get your car under motion," said Fred sharply. "We don't want to stayhere any longer. We'll tell you what happened when you get out on themain road."
"Just as you say," laughed George.
A moment later the automobile was moving swiftly down the road. As itcame near the place where the two forms had been seen it was evidentthat both were seeking to gain the road in advance of the automobile.
"Maybe the spooks will try to get this car, too," suggested George in alow voice.
At that moment there came a hail from the two men in advance and at thesound George laughed loudly.
"Do you know who that is?" he demanded, turning to his companions.
"Who is it?" inquired Fred.
"Why it's John and Uncle Sim. They want to ride home. I guess I'llpretend not to know who they are and put on a little more speed."
As he spoke the car began to move more swiftly, a sight which at oncecalled forth louder shouts of protest from the two men who now were nearthe fence along the roadside.
"Let them in. Let them in," said Grant.
"All right, just as you say," replied George, and as he spoke he broughtthe automobile to a standstill.
"What do you want?" he called to the two men who now were climbing thefence.
"We want you to take us home," replied one of the two.
"Is that you, John?"
"It certainly is."
"Well, I couldn't tell," laughed George. "You look more like a stringthan ever. Is that Uncle Sim with you?"
"Yas, suh. Yas, suh," spoke up the negro promptly.
"Then you have been over to the old Meeker House, have you?" inquiredGeorge as John and the colored man took their seats in the car.
"Yes, we have been there," abruptly replied John.
"You didn't seem to stay very long," suggested George. "Were there anyspecial reasons why you didn't want to tarry any longer?"
"Dere sho' was," spoke up Uncle Sim, his teeth chattering as he spoke."Yas, suh. Yas, suh, dere sho' was." Lifting his face toward the sky theold colored man muttered some incantations or prayers which in a measureindicated the terror which possessed him. He was trembling in every limband when he tried to speak his lower jaw, over which he apparently hadlost control, resounded as it repeatedly struck the teeth on his upperjaw.
"Never mind, Uncle Sim," said George, noticing the abject terror of theold man. "We'll soon be out of this. I don't see why you went back therewhen you're so afraid of the old place."
"Yas, suh. Yas, suh," stammered Uncle Sim. "I don' went jes' because disyoung man 'sist on my goin' wif him."
"Was he afraid to go alone?"
"Yas, suh. Yas, suh."
"Did he think he would be less scared if there were two than he would beif he was there alone?" laughed George.
"That's all right, George," broke in John, "you don't know what you'retalking about. If you had heard what we did you would have made bettertime than either of us when we were trying to head you off."
"What did you hear?"
"Why, we heard the same old sound and a lot more. Just as true as I amsitting here there was a voice that sounded all through the house and itwas calling, 'John, John'."
"Did you answer it?"
"Did I answer it? No, sir, I didn't answer it. I was out of that housebefore you could count ten."
"I didn't know that it affected you that way," laughed George, "to haveanybody speak to you."
"It doesn't to have any live body, but that name was sounded all throughthe house. It wasn't loud either, it was just that whispered, 'John,John,' that I don't think I shall ever forget as long as I live."
"It seems to have affected Uncle Sim even worse than it did you,"suggested George, as Uncle Sim clasped his hands and lifted them farabove his head and offered various incantations, as if he were doing hisutmost to ward off the evil spirits.
"Well, all I have got to say," explained George at last, "is that the GoAhead boys ought to change their name."
"Why?" demanded Fred sharply.
"Because it seems to me that they can leave any place and make bettertime than anybody I have ever seen. Even Uncle Sim forgets hisrheumatism and 'mis'ry' and keeps up with John when he race
s across thefield. To-morrow morning I will give John one dollar if he will make asgood time from the old Meeker House out to the road as he made to-nightwhen it was dark."
"Never you mind about that!" retorted John. "You didn't see all that Isaw."
"But you haven't told us what you saw."
"I told you something I heard. If you had heard your own name comingdown the chimney and through the windows and up from the cellar, out ofthe attic, in the hallway, down the stairs and everywhere at the sametime you wouldn't have stayed there any longer either."
"Perhaps I wouldn't," admitted George, "but my feeling is that youdidn't hear half as much as you thought you did."
"No, sir," responded John. "I have told you only half what I did hear."
"Well go ahead with your story."
"I'm not going to talk until we get home."