CHAPTER XXII--A DARE
Without a word having been spoken, Fred and John instantly departed fromthe old house. They did not even glance at each other as they did so,but moved by a common impulse both were apparently ready to seek a placeof safety with all haste.
Fred's bold declaration that now he had found an explanation for thestrange occurrences in the Meeker House apparently had not held good. Hewas maintaining his place by the side of his tall friend when both werefleeing from the house.
The sun already had disappeared from sight and the shadows of theevening were lengthening.
Perhaps the hour increased their feeling of uncertainty. At all eventsthe confidence they had possessed, when in broad daylight they hadboldly entered the kitchen, manifestly now was gone. Each boy frequentlyglanced behind him in his flight, but neither spoke to the other untilfifty yards intervened between them and the dwelling.
"What are we doing out here?" demanded Fred blankly.
"I don't think you need very much of an explanation," retorted John.
"That's the way it seems to me, too," responded Fred, striving to laughlightly as he spoke.
"At all events we are making pretty good time."
Indeed the smaller boy was able to maintain the pace at which his friendwith the longer legs was moving over the field. Half the distancebetween the house and the road had been covered when John stopped andsaid, "Look ahead there, Fred. Isn't that George and Grant waiting overyonder in the road?"
In response to the suggestion of his friend, Fred glanced quickly at thehuge spreading oak tree that grew close to the fence. It was amagnificent tree, the pride of the country around about and the delightof many visitors. Beneath it an automobile was seen and then Fredexclaimed quickly, "You're right, String, that's George and Grant. Let'sslow up a little. We don't want them to think we are in too much of ahurry."
Accordingly the speed at which they were moving decreased and as theyglanced behind them and saw that the conditions about the old MeekerHouse apparently were unchanged the boys ceased to run and began towalk.
"Don't let them think we have been scared out," again suggested Fred."We'll never hear the last of it if we don't."
Without replying John nodded his head and more slowly the boys walkedacross the intervening field and then climbed the fence and leapedlightly into the roadside when they drew near the place where the twoboys were awaiting their coming.
"What's your hurry?" demanded George, laughing as he spoke.
"We're in no hurry," responded Fred glibly.
"We're hungry, that's all," said John. "We were afraid you would bekeeping dinner for us."
"That's a mighty good excuse," laughed Grant. "You didn't act when wefirst saw you as if you were thinking of your dinner. I didn't believethat either one of you could make such good time."
"That's all right," said Fred sharply. "That's all right, but it's justexactly as I said."
"What is?" inquired George.
"Why the tricks you have been trying to play on us in the old MeekerHouse."
"Tricks? What tricks have I been trying to play?" replied George.
"Did you ever hear of chimney-swallows?" inquired Fred.
"Indeed I have," said George, "and I have seen them lots of times."
"Ever see any in the old Meeker House?"
"Yes," replied George, laughing again as he spoke.
"Well, why didn't you tell us that they were there? You let us go on andI think you helped us too to believe that the room was full of flyingspooks."
"I didn't know that I was to blame," laughed George, "if you didn't knowthe difference between a spook and chimney-swallow."
"You must have put in a lot of work in that old house, George," broke inJohn.
"Work?" inquired George, staring blankly at his friend. "What do youmean? I never worked there in my life."
"Who put in that speaking tube that runs from the kitchen to the frontroom?" demanded John.
"I didn't," George said quietly.
"You mean you didn't do the work. I guess you knew it was put in and Iguess too that you know who put it in."
George laughed, but did not directly reply to the implied question.
"We have found out about your old speaking tube," continued John. "Thatwas a great trick for you to play on your old friends."
Grant, who was listening intently to the conversation, in which up tothis time he had taken no part, now said, "Then you two fellows thinkyou have found out all about the strange things in the old Meeker House,do you?"
"We didn't say that," replied Fred. "All we say is that we have foundout about the wings that we heard and the chattering in the chimney andthe speaking tube that ran from the kitchen into the front room. My, butI was scared when I heard my name called there," he added.
George laughed loudly as he said, "You don't need to tell me that, Pyg.I wouldn't have believed that any living creature could have made itslegs fly as fast as yours did that night."
"I was trying to keep up with the rest of the fellows," retorted Fred."I had to go some to do that."
"Now that you have found out all these things you're not afraid to goback there any time, are you?" inquired George.
"Yes, sir, I am," said Fred.
"What?"
"Because we haven't found out everything. There's something strangeabout that place that I don't understand yet."
"Why, what happened?" inquired George quickly.
"We heard voices upstairs."
"Was that the reason why you were moving so fast across the yard?"laughed George.
"Laugh all you want to," said Fred, "but that's what we heard."
"Probably your tramp was talking to himself," suggested Grant.
"No, sir," spoke up John promptly. "That wasn't it at all. Besides therewas more than one voice."
"You didn't hear the automobile-horn, did you?" inquired George.
"No, we didn't. We heard all I wanted to without hearing that. It justmade my flesh creep to hear those voices upstairs and coming down thestairway."
"Was there anything strange about the voices?" asked George.
"Yes, sir, there was."
"Well, I tell you what I'll do," said Grant promptly. "I'll dare both ofyou to come back here to the old Meeker House after dinner to-night."
"I'll do it," said Fred promptly.
"I'll give you another dare better than that," said John. "I'll dare youand George to go back there right now."
"Will you come too?" demanded George.
"We have just come from there," said John. "We know what there is thereand you don't. Now we dare you both to go back right now."
George glanced a moment questioningly at Grant and then without a wordbeing spoken promptly turned the car and started back toward themysterious old house.
Apparently all thoughts of dinner had been forgotten or ignored. Fredand John looked at each other and laughed derisively, but neither spokeuntil at last the car was halted under the old oak tree.
Quickly George and Grant leaped out and started across the interveningfield.
Fred and John left to themselves waited until their friends had gone tothe rear of the building and then the former said quickly, "Let's takethe car and go back home. It will serve those fellows just right toleave them there."
John laughed as he agreed to the suggestion.
Avoiding all possible noise they turned the car about and started downthe road. They had gone only a short distance, however, before Fredsuddenly clutched the arm of his companion who was driving and said,"Listen, String! Wasn't that a call or a shout?"
As he spoke, Fred in great excitement looked behind him in the directionof the mysterious old dwelling house. Without a word, John turned thecar about and started swiftly on his way back to the old tree.