Such measures as one might expect to have taken in a place like Chelton
and the surrounding towns were taken by the authorities in an endeavor
to recover Cora's stolen automobile. For stolen it certainly was, and
not taken in a joke. That fact was patent when several days passed and
no trace of it was found and no word received as to where it might have
been taken or abandoned by the two strange young men.
"They might merely have taken it to get some place, seeing that they had
no money," observed Belle, when the three girls were talking the matter
over 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 want
to go if they had no money," came from Cora. "There are so many chances
to 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 they
knew the police would be after them," explained Belle.
"Quite dramatic," observed Cora. "But whoever they are or whatever their
motive, 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 on
another searching tour."
"All right," agreed Cora, and they were soon on the road again in the
car of the Robinson twins. The girls had not left it all to the
authorities to find the missing automobile. They had made diligent
inquiries themselves on all roads leading out of Chelton and in the
vicinity of the tea room. Nor had the boys been idle. Paul Hastings
arrived in town on business connected with the automobile concern by
which he was employed, and he, Jack and Walter, made it their business
to scurry around in Jack's car, looking for clews.
But the slender ones they found proved unavailing. Automobiles are all
too common to attract attention unless there is something unusual about
them. And Cora's car, while it was a fine one, was not unusual enough to
call for special notice.
The number on the license plates had been given to the police and
constables, but it would have been a comparatively easy matter for the
thieves to change the number or rub oil on and let dust accumulate until
it would have been all but indecipherable. Then, too, persons seldom
notice the number on a car unless there has been some accident.
"It just seems to have disappeared," declared Cora at the close of the
day, when a long tour and many inquiries had resulted in nothing. "I
just wish I had hold of those two fellows!"
"It _is_ provoking," agreed Belle. "Let's stop at the tea room and see
if they've heard anything more there."
The girl at the cash register, the young lady manager, and the colored
maid who had waited on them before greeted the three pretty chums
smilingly as they again entered the pleasant tea room of Ye Olde
Spinning Wheel.
"Were your tickets for the play all right?" asked Cora as the manager
stepped over to inquire if everything was to their liking.
"I haven't used them yet. They are for this week Friday. Oh! I'm sure
they're all right. Some of my friends bought tickets from the same
fellows for the same night and they are next mine."
"Those chaps must have planned for a regular theatre party," observed
Belle.
"Have you had any trace of your car yet?" the cashier asked, as Cora
went 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 use
ours to go to Camp Surprise."
"Oh, we're going in the motor boat," Cora said. "I didn't tell you, but
mother learned that the roads around the camp were so rough that it
would 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 was
situated in the mountains some miles west of Chelton, had been talked
over at length, and an earlier trip than the one originally decided on
had been voted for.
"Going in the motor boat! How nice!" cried Bess, as they went out of the
tea room. "Then it doesn't matter about your auto, Cora--I mean, of
course--oh! I don't mean that!" she cried, blushing. "Of course you want
it back----"
"Well, I should say I do!" exclaimed Jack's sister with mock
indignation.
"I mean we won't have to wait until you get your car back before going
to 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 are
going 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 many
things have happened that I didn't get to it. Come on, let's sit out
here on the porch, where it's so nice, cool and shady, and I'll tell you
all I know."
"You couldn't, Cora, dear--not in the limited time at our disposal," said
Belle, 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 meant
all 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'm
not so sure I want to go there."
"Nonsense!" cried Cora. "If there's a ghost we'll lay it--whatever that
means."
"Oh, Cora! Ghosts!"
"Oh! I don't mean that, exactly. It isn't so bad as that. The worst
things that have happened are that things in the bungalow seem to be
upset 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 of
camps, cottages, bungalows--what you like--which belong to a development
company. The bungalows and camps are rented, furnished, to whoever wants
them. Camp Surprise, where we shall have a good-sized bungalow to live
in, is one of the best of these resorts. It is about five miles in from
the Towanda river, which is what the Chelton is called up state, and it
was 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 the
missing we won't make any such plans. Camp Surprise is right on the edge
of a stream which is quiet enough in dry weather, but a torrent when
there's a heavy rain. And there's a little lake and a waterfall near the
bungalow."
"That sounds lovely," remarked Belle.
"It is lovely," asserted Cora. "I've seen pictures of it. And while our
bungalow 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?" asked
Belle.
"One or the other, yes," assented Cora. "But why so anxious?"
"Because when those ghosts, or whatever they are, get to moving things
about I want a man, or at least a good-sized boy around," was the
answer.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Cora. "It isn't so bad as that."
"Say it again," begged Bess. "You told about unseen hands moving chairs
and tables."
"I didn't mean it exactly that way," and Cora smiled. "You see there is
a 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 think
mother 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.
"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 main
bungalow, keeping to their own rooms. But they wrote mother that, of
late, 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 their
return. Chairs would be misplaced, tables that had been in the middle of
the room would be shoved back against the wall. Dishes would be taken
out of the closets, and----"
"Tramps!" interrupted Belle.
"What?" cried Cora, rather startled by the suddenness of the
ejaculation.
"I mean tramps got in and did it."
"No, I don't think so," and Cora spoke slowly. "For, though the dishes
were taken from the pantry, there was no food missing. Tramps would take
food."
"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 of
their silver with them. Then came one of the upsetting periods, and the
furniture 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."