CHAPTER IV--A CURIOUS STORY
Such measures as one might expect to have taken in a place like Cheltonand the surrounding towns were taken by the authorities in an endeavorto recover Cora's stolen automobile. For stolen it certainly was, andnot taken in a joke. That fact was patent when several days passed andno trace of it was found and no word received as to where it might havebeen taken or abandoned by the two strange young men.
"They might merely have taken it to get some place, seeing that they hadno money," observed Belle, when the three girls were talking the matterover one day at Cora's house.
"They had railroad tickets, though," said Belle.
"Yes, but to New York, and perhaps they didn't want to go there."
"I should think New York would be just the place where they would wantto go if they had no money," came from Cora. "There are so many chancesto make money there."
"Perhaps they didn't dare go," suggested Belle.
"What do you mean?" came in a duet from the others.
"They might have done something--perhaps have taken another auto--and theyknew the police would be after them," explained Belle.
"Quite dramatic," observed Cora. "But whoever they are or whatever theirmotive, I wish they'd send back my car. I want it."
"I don't blame you a bit," came from Bess. "Come on, we'll go out onanother searching tour."
"All right," agreed Cora, and they were soon on the road again in thecar of the Robinson twins. The girls had not left it all to theauthorities to find the missing automobile. They had made diligentinquiries themselves on all roads leading out of Chelton and in thevicinity of the tea room. Nor had the boys been idle. Paul Hastingsarrived in town on business connected with the automobile concern bywhich he was employed, and he, Jack and Walter, made it their businessto scurry around in Jack's car, looking for clews.
But the slender ones they found proved unavailing. Automobiles are alltoo common to attract attention unless there is something unusual aboutthem. And Cora's car, while it was a fine one, was not unusual enough tocall for special notice.
The number on the license plates had been given to the police andconstables, but it would have been a comparatively easy matter for thethieves to change the number or rub oil on and let dust accumulate untilit would have been all but indecipherable. Then, too, persons seldomnotice the number on a car unless there has been some accident.
"It just seems to have disappeared," declared Cora at the close of theday, when a long tour and many inquiries had resulted in nothing. "Ijust wish I had hold of those two fellows!"
"It _is_ provoking," agreed Belle. "Let's stop at the tea room and seeif they've heard anything more there."
The girl at the cash register, the young lady manager, and the coloredmaid who had waited on them before greeted the three pretty chumssmilingly as they again entered the pleasant tea room of Ye OldeSpinning Wheel.
"Were your tickets for the play all right?" asked Cora as the managerstepped over to inquire if everything was to their liking.
"I haven't used them yet. They are for this week Friday. Oh! I'm surethey're all right. Some of my friends bought tickets from the samefellows for the same night and they are next mine."
"Those chaps must have planned for a regular theatre party," observedBelle.
"Have you had any trace of your car yet?" the cashier asked, as Corawent up to pay the check.
"No, I'm sorry to say, I haven't."
"If you don't get it soon, Cora," said Belle, "you'd better plan to useours to go to Camp Surprise."
"Oh, we're going in the motor boat," Cora said. "I didn't tell you, butmother learned that the roads around the camp were so rough that itwould certainly spoil a car to take it to camp, so I wouldn't take mine,anyhow."
"Camp Surprise," repeated the pretty cashier. "That sounds interesting."
"I hope we don't find it too much so," returned Belle.
The plans for going to live at the bungalow with the odd name, which wassituated in the mountains some miles west of Chelton, had been talkedover at length, and an earlier trip than the one originally decided onhad been voted for.
"Going in the motor boat! How nice!" cried Bess, as they went out of thetea room. "Then it doesn't matter about your auto, Cora--I mean, ofcourse--oh! I don't mean that!" she cried, blushing. "Of course you wantit back----"
"Well, I should say I do!" exclaimed Jack's sister with mockindignation.
"I mean we won't have to wait until you get your car back before goingto Camp Surprise," Bess went on.
"No," agreed Cora. "That won't delay us."
"And now don't you think you ought to tell us why the camp where we aregoing to spend most of the summer has such an odd name?" asked Belle.
"I've been meaning to this long while," assented Cora, "but so manythings have happened that I didn't get to it. Come on, let's sit outhere on the porch, where it's so nice, cool and shady, and I'll tell youall I know."
"You couldn't, Cora, dear--not in the limited time at our disposal," saidBelle, languidly sinking into an easy wicker chair. "You know too much."
"Thank you. I believe this was my treat, so now we're even. But I meantall I know about Camp Surprise."
"First, how did it get its name?" asked Bess.
"Because of the surprising things that happen there."
"Happen--happen?" queried Belle. "Do you mean they still happen?"
"Well, so mother said," observed Cora.
"Bur-r-r!" shivered Bess, with a hasty glance over her shoulder. "I'mnot so sure I want to go there."
"Nonsense!" cried Cora. "If there's a ghost we'll lay it--whatever thatmeans."
"Oh, Cora! Ghosts!"
"Oh! I don't mean that, exactly. It isn't so bad as that. The worstthings that have happened are that things in the bungalow seem to beupset and misplaced without reason."
"Upset? Misplaced?" murmured Belle.
"Without reason?" added her sister.
"Oh! perhaps I am making a mountain out of a molehill," confessed Cora."This is how the matter stands. Up in the mountains are a number ofcamps, cottages, bungalows--what you like--which belong to a developmentcompany. The bungalows and camps are rented, furnished, to whoever wantsthem. Camp Surprise, where we shall have a good-sized bungalow to livein, is one of the best of these resorts. It is about five miles in fromthe Towanda river, which is what the Chelton is called up state, and itwas going up the river that I planned to use the motor boat."
"How do we get over the five miles?" asked Bess.
"By buckboards over a mountain road. That's why we won't need the autos.Of course we could use a car, but as long as mine is still among themissing we won't make any such plans. Camp Surprise is right on the edgeof a stream which is quiet enough in dry weather, but a torrent whenthere's a heavy rain. And there's a little lake and a waterfall near thebungalow."
"That sounds lovely," remarked Belle.
"It is lovely," asserted Cora. "I've seen pictures of it. And while ourbungalow is on one side of the mountain torrent there is another one,not far off, on the other side, where the boys are going to stay."
"How nice," commented Bess.
"Is that other bungalow within sight or calling distance of ours?" askedBelle.
"One or the other, yes," assented Cora. "But why so anxious?"
"Because when those ghosts, or whatever they are, get to moving thingsabout I want a man, or at least a good-sized boy around," was theanswer.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Cora. "It isn't so bad as that."
"Say it again," begged Bess. "You told about unseen hands moving chairsand tables."
"I didn't mean it exactly that way," and Cora smiled. "You see there isa man and his wife who have rooms in the bungalow, Mr. and Mrs. Floyd.They look after the place, and they'll be our chaperons. I did thinkmother might be able to go with us, but she won't. But mother knows Mrs.Floyd, and says she's very nice."
"I hope the ghosts will be nice," said Belle.
Cora laughed.
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"Oh, you funny girl! Why will you persist in calling them ghosts?"
"Well, aren't they? Moving chairs about?"
"Is that what happened--or happens?" asked Bess.
"So I understand," returned Cora. "Mr. and Mrs. Floyd don't use the mainbungalow, keeping to their own rooms. But they wrote mother that, oflate, there have been some queer goings on. They said they would go out,leaving the rooms in perfect order, only to find them all upset on theirreturn. Chairs would be misplaced, tables that had been in the middle ofthe room would be shoved back against the wall. Dishes would be takenout of the closets, and----"
"Tramps!" interrupted Belle.
"What?" cried Cora, rather startled by the suddenness of theejaculation.
"I mean tramps got in and did it."
"No, I don't think so," and Cora spoke slowly. "For, though the disheswere taken from the pantry, there was no food missing. Tramps would takefood."
"Is this all that happened?" Bess demanded.
"Well, once something was taken," Cora said. "A party had the bungalow,and when they left at the end of their stay, they forgot to take some oftheir silver with them. Then came one of the upsetting periods, and thefurniture was misplaced and the silver taken."
Belle and Bess looked at their chum, then the former said slowly:
"I--I don't believe we want to go to Camp Surprise, Cora."