The Haunted House
Life in the patriot camp often grew irksome to the volunteers of
Washington's army. All were eager to meet their red-coat foes, and
prove their mettle in a real battle. Thus far the troops gathered in
New York, had been forced to content themselves with occasional
skirmishes with the British outposts, which little affairs only served
to increase their eagerness to "have it out" with the invaders.
To make the long days of waiting pass more pleasantly, frequent
excursions were made into the surrounding country in search of
adventures and to pick up whatever delicacies in the way of fruit and
fowl that the outlying farms afforded. Tom appointed himself a
committee of one to supply the company to which he and his friends
belonged. He had exhausted most of the well-known haunts about camp,
and was in the habit of going off on long tramps to find the coveted
fruit.
One evening toward dusk Tom was sauntering along a quiet country road
hunting for apples. In the course of his wanderings he came upon a
well laden tree standing on the grounds of a neglected estate. Far
back amongst the trees was the deserted mansion-house, looking
desolate and forbidding in the rays of the sinking sun.
About this old place many stories clung of mystery and violent death.
From the time of its erection by a runaway nobleman the families who
had unfortunately occupied it had either left in extreme haste and
terror for some far removed section of the country, or had met with
foul play at the hands of a band of Gypsies, who appeared in the
neighborhood only when a new occupant moved into the fated homestead.
The last family that had lived there had suddenly left the house one
night. Two grown up sons, however, returned and told the inquisitive
farmers that although their folks had been frightened away, they
proposed to remain until they had solved the mystery of the place.
This perhaps they did the next night, but they both paid for their
curiosity with their lives, for the neighbors found their bodies
suspended from the upper floor over the Main Stairway. Since this last
fatality, the house had been deserted, its bad name growing with each
recounting of its dark history.
A little youngster scarce four years old, was playing under the tree.
Tom helped himself to some apples as was his wont, and speaking
cheerily to the boy, learned that his name was "Jackie." A stick of
candy from Tom's pocket was greedily accepted by Jackie. Tom was
feeling blue that day thinking of his father from whom had come no
word, of his mother and sister, and his old home. He wandered on
unobservant of the fact that it was growing dark, and that a storm was
fast approaching. He was suddenly called to a sense of his
surroundings by hearing a cry behind him, and turning back saw that
little Jackie was dogging his footsteps.
The youngster was tired out now, and wanted "home and mother," so Tom
spoke a soothing word or two and they commenced to retrace their
footsteps. He noted now that the storm was soon to break, and Jackie
was too tired to hurry, so he gathered the little fellow into his
strong arms, and made fast time for home.
By the time they had reached the apple tree it was quite dark. Large
drops of rain, the roar of thunder, and the glare of lightning told
Tom that he was none too soon. He ran through the unkempt garden, and
was quickly at the door. A sinister looking place it was even in
daylight, and now revealed by an occasional lightning flash, the house
seemed but a wreck of former stateliness. Not a light was visible
within, and to Tom's loud and hurried rappings on the door, there was
no response.
A flash of lightning however, showed Tom that the door was unlatched,
and with the rain now descending in torrents, he hesitated no longer,
but stepped within. There was a rush of wind, a rattle of shutters, a
deafening peal of thunder as if close at hand, and with a crash the
great door suddenly closed.
It did not take Tom long to determine that he and his little charge
were alone in a deserted mansion.
"Is this your home, Jackie?" inquired Tom.
The little fellow whom Tom had placed upon the floor was thoroughly
terrified, and could only grasp his answer.
"It is the haunted house, let me go home."
"Nonsense, Jackie, don't be afraid, but where is your home?"
Meantime Tom had turned about and was searching for the handle of the
great door. There was none. It had been broken off, and this means of
egress was unavailable.
"Let's see if we can find a window," suggested Tom, but Jackie clung
closer to his rescuer and began to cry wildly.
"There is a ghost, it's coming," shrieked the little fellow.
Tom looked along the depth of the long hall, and at first saw nothing,
then at the next flash of lightning he was startled to see two green
and glaring eyes fixed upon him. No thought of such a thing as a ghost
entered his mind, he was far too sensible for that, and had no fear of
spirits. If they were good spirits, he argued, of course they would
not hurt, if they were bad, he might hurt them. He was for advancing
at once to investigate, but his little charge clung to him in
desperate terror.
Then there came another crash of thunder, and at the same instant a
noise as of an overturned table, and the rattle of pans and pots upon
the floor. But the eyes, they were gone-no, they were close upon the
floor, and coming toward them. Tom could not deny that he felt a
creeping feeling, and poor Jackie, always observant of the goings on,
was simply overcome with fright, and buried his head in Tom's side to
shut out the dreaded sight.
"Come, Jackie, let's get out of here," encouraged Tom, and having
observed a window in the room to the left, he once more took up his
charge and made for it.
Halfway to his objective point, however, he was startled for a moment
to see revealed by a lantern the whiskered face of a man on the other
side of the window. Tom stopped short an instant, but not so Jackie,
who struggled from his protector's embrace calling out, "There's
papa!"
In a brief interval Jackie was in his parent's arms, and as they lived
next door to the deserted mansion, Tom was soon being thanked time and
again for the rescue of the little runaway.
"And is the house really haunted?" asked Tom, and then without waiting
for a reply he answered his own question "but of course I know it is
not."
"No," was the laughing response, "but it has been unoccupied except by
cats, and in some way has gotten that name."
"And then the eyes we saw-?"
"Quite likely a stray cat, but still it would not be wondered at if
your nerves got on edge. You are a brave boy, Tom Dare, and I know I
shall hear of brave deeds of yours in the future."
The storm had moderated, and Tom now had to hasten back to camp where
he was welcomed for he had for distribution a large bag of apples,
given him by Jackie's father.
That evening about the camp-fire Tom recounted his adventures to his
friends, and a trip was planned for the next day to explore the
secrets of the old house.
The following morning, after drill and the camp duties had been
performed, Tom, Dick and Ben set out for the scene of the previous
day's excitement.
"I don't believe half of these `haunted house' stories," said Tom,
"ever since-," and here he stopped.
"Yes, ever since you thought we had a real ghost, and suggested
leaving the poor spirit to its own reflection while you and the rest
of us made for home," broke in Dick.
"When was that?" questioned Ben.
"Why, about a year ago," Dick responded, "four of us spent a night in
a house with a `haunted' reputation, and after numerous fake alarms,
caused by the wind shaking the windows or banging the shutters, we at
last got track of the real disturber, who happened along the very
night we were on watch."
"Who was it?" questioned Ben, eagerly, while Tom, remembering his
temporary terror on that night, grew suspiciously red in the face.
"None other than a marauding cat," Dick replied, "whose head had stuck
in a can it was drinking from, and who knocked the unwelcome helmet on
the floor in an effort to disengage it."
The boys had now reached the old mansion, and a trip through its
ruined rooms failed to reveal anything unusual, so after gathering
another supply of apples, the three returned to camp.