CHAPTER XV Mysterious Knocking
For a moment after Tim's discouraging words the twins stood and staredhelplessly out at the darkness of the night. From every angle thesituation was a serious one. If the country had been familiar to them,they would have attempted to go out and look for Barry and Kent, butthey had only a sketchy notion of the hills and valleys. The wind wasblowing the snow around in such a way that even the stoutest woodsmenmight have been confused and lost on such a day. To the Ford boys itseemed anything but cheering that their chums were somewhere abroad inthe storm and darkness.
"I wish I knew what to do," Mac confessed, after they had stared outinto the night for some time.
Tim turned from the window and took off his hat and coat. "The firstthing we had better do is to get our things off," he recommended. "It isgetting mighty warm in here now. Then we had better get supper ready.They might come in yet, Mac. Maybe we're only borrowing trouble."
"It may be," his brother agreed, brightening up. "They may have waitedat Fox Point until it blew over and will be here later. But if thiskeeps up, they'll have to come here on snowshoes."
"Yes, it is getting deep. Well, what shall we do about supper? We aren'tgoing to build a kitchen fire, and we won't eat in that big diningroom."
"No, we can make this room our headquarters for about everything," Macnodded. "Let's bring in that table from the kitchen and set it righthere by the fire. It will just fit our needs."
Willing to occupy their minds with something besides worry, the two boyswent to the kitchen and carried out the small table that Mac had spokenabout. It was just large enough for the four of them, and they foundclean knives and forks in the drawer, but Tim washed them for the sakeof safety. After this was done he put them around the table.
"I'll set four places," he said.
Mac glanced at the clock and noted that it was close to six. "Sure, setfour places, they'll be along soon," he said, but his voice lackedconviction, and both of them were more alarmed than they would care toadmit.
"What shall we have for supper?" Tim inquired, beginning to dig amongthe stores that they had brought over from the cabin.
"I was hoping to have sausage," Mac smiled. "But I guess we had betternot count on it. Open a can of pork and beans. I'll fix the coffee."
For a while they worked silently. The fire was a mass of glowing redcoals, and the room was lighted by one lamp. They could see well enoughby this light and did not intend to light another one, because theythought it best to save for an emergency. Tim put the beans on to warm,and Mac made coffee. While these things were coming along, the brotherssat on the wicker couch and stared into the fire.
"I hope the other boys aren't cold while we are enjoying this finefire," Mac murmured.
"They may be around the stove at Fox Point," Tim hoped.
"Sure. On the other hand, we can't help but realize that they may be outin the woods, wandering around. Hang it all, I hate waiting worse thananything else on earth!"
Tim sprang up and went to the window, peering out. "So do I. Iwonder----No, the storm is pretty bad, and we had better not get awayfrom the lodge. Listen to that old wind!"
Mac couldn't help listening to it. With a shrill, whistling sound ittore around the lodge and made some of the windows rattle. The fire inthe grate was vigorous and glowing because of it. Already the coffee wasbubbling, and a tempting odor came from the pot on the coals. Had theother boys been there with them, they would have thoroughly enjoyed itall, but just now its attraction was lost in the air of uncertainty thatsurrounded them.
"I think we moved out of the cabin just in time," he said. "That littleold place is something of an antique, and it was colder than it shouldhave been. I'll bet the wind is coming in under the door over there."
Tim nodded, looking around the room they were in. "Yes, this surely is agreat improvement. Wicker couch and chairs, window seats and well-filledbookcases. How shall we sleep tonight? In the bedrooms?"
"I don't think so. Too cold. This couch will be good for one of us tosleep on, and if we lug the mattresses in here, we can make dandy beds.I have an idea that the sheets and everything else in those rooms wouldbe as cold as ice."
Tim took the pan of beans off of the fire. "These are ready, and theboys aren't here yet, though it is after six. Want to eat?"
Mac shook his head. "Not yet. Let's wait awhile. We can heat them upagain when they come. I'll go get some more coal."
He put his coat and hat on and took the coal pail. Tim silently handedhim the flashlight. Mac went out the door and down the hall, while Timstared into the fire.
Mac did not stay out long, and when he got back he rubbed his hands."Man alive, but it is cold! Say, the boys have no lantern with them,have they?"
"No, only a flashlight."
"They couldn't keep a lantern going, anyway, on a windy night likethis."
Silence again fell between them, and at last it was seven o'clock. Timlooked around the room and then got up. They had put the lamp out andhad been sitting in the light of the fire.
"Mac, they aren't coming, so you and I had better eat something. I knowyou don't feel much like eating, and neither do I, but it will do usgood to pack something solid away inside of us."
"I never felt less like eating," growled Mac.
"I know it. I realize just now how you feel. But we might need ourstrength later on, and we can do more for the boys on a full stomachthan we ever could on an empty one."
"You're right," his brother nodded. "If we only knew something! It isthe uncertainty that makes it all so hard."
Once more they warmed the beans and coffee, and when the food had beenplaced on their plates and the beverage in the cups, they began to eat.It was a hasty and a silent meal, for they were oppressed, and neitherof them possessed any appetite to speak of. The two empty places at thetable haunted them, and they found it hard to keep various alarmingthoughts out of their heads.
"I think we ought to light a lamp and put it in the window, as a guidefor them," Mac proposed, when they had finished their meal.
"Sure thing," Tim agreed. "They may come along late, and any kind of alight will be a help to them. We haven't got much oil, but we'll use allthat we have in a lamp for them."
Mac picked up a taboret and put it on the window seat. "Put the lamp ontop of that," he directed. "That ought to shine for quite a distance. Ifthe oil runs out, we can go until daylight without any. We'll get enoughcoal in here to last all night, and we won't have to build a new fire inthe morning. If they haven't come in by that time we'll have to go afterthem, storm or no storm." Tim placed the lighted lamp on the taboret,and the boys felt that they had done all that could be done under thecircumstances. Mac sat on the couch in a reclining position, and hisbrother squinted at the titles on the backs of the books in thebookcase.
"I'll try a little reading," he announced. "Don't know how successful itwill be."
Mac yawned and slid a little lower. "I'm too tired and worried to read,"he said. "Better not get hold of a spook book."
"It wouldn't be a bad idea," Tim replied. "I need something exciting tokeep me awake and take my mind off of things."
He finally found a book that suited him, and, drawing a chair close tothe lamp on the taboret, he started to read. Mac sank lower on the couchand soon fell asleep. Tim read on. It was a little colder over near thelamp than he wished for, but he didn't want to take the lamp away fromthe window.
A sudden clear tapping on the window back of him caused Tim to startviolently and almost drop his book. It came on the glass of the windowat the end of the room and not where the light was. Tim jumped upjoyously, sure that the boys had returned.
"Hey, Mac! Wake up! The boys are here!"
Mac bounded to his feet. "They are? Where?"
Tim was at the dark window, peering out. "They just knocked here. Ican't see them, but they just tapped on the glass while I was reading.Almost scared----There!"
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sp; "They are at the back door," Mac whooped, seizing his flashlight. "Comeon, we're the committee of welcome."
"We'll surely welcome them," Tim agreed, as they made their way alongthe hall to the kitchen. Mac quickly turned the key in that door anddrew back the knob. The door opened, but no one was there. The boyslooked around the porch and flashed the light into every corner, butwithout success.
"I was sure that knocking came from the back door," Tim exclaimed, whenthey failed to find anyone.
"So was I. Maybe they are trying to put something over on us."
"Maybe," admitted Tim, doubtfully. "But I should think they would havehad enough of being out in the cold. Well, they aren't here. We hadbetter go in. Your flashlight is getting weak."
"It's about shot." Mac locked the door, and they walked slowly down thehall toward the living room. It had just occurred to them that they werein what was known as a haunted lodge, and various thoughts were crowdinginto their minds. In the living room they looked uncertainly at eachother.
"I doubt if the boys would play any such foolish stunts," Tim remarked.
"I doubt it, too. Of course, it's a good opportunity to have a littlefun with----"
"Listen!" Tim cried, holding up his hand.
There were three distinct thumps on the side of the lodge, and then allwas quiet. Then a loud and insistent knocking came on the front door.The twins looked at each other with startled eyes. Then Tim took thelamp, and they started for the front door. Mac took up the poker as theypassed the fireplace.
"I'll open the door," he said, and while Tim held the lamp he turned thekey and pulled the knob. The door came open with a rush, and the windsnuffed the lamp flame out in a twinkling, and yet not so quickly thatthe Ford twins could make out the fact that there was no one near thefront door.