A STRANGE FIGURE IN WHITE
"OH!"
After all it was George, boasting George, who gasped this one word in
Elmer's ear; and the scout master knew then whose trembling hand had
clutched his sleeve.
But if several of the others refrained from giving vent to their
agitated feelings about that time, it was only because they had lost
their breath completely.
All of them were staring as hard as they could at the strange white
object that kept creeping, creeping along through the brush. Not the
slightest sound did it appear to make, and that added to the weirdness
of it all. They must just then have had flash into their brains all they
had ever read or heard about the wonderful manner in which ghosts and
hobgoblins are able to advance or retreat, without betraying their
presence by even the least rustling.
Then all at once there broke out the sharp, furious barking of a dog.
Every scout reeled back as though struck a blow. At the same moment they
saw the white object whirl around, and rush away through the brush; and
now they could plainly detect the rapid patter of canine feet.
"It was only a stray farmer's dog after all!" exclaimed Lil Artha, with
a sigh of absolute relief.
"Yes," added Toby, "and when he barked up at us he was scared at the
sound he made himself, so that he lit out as though he had a tin pan
tied to his tail. But I own up I was shivering to beat the band, for I
sure thought it must be that Cartaret _thing_ they say hangs out here.
Whew!"
George, as usual, having recovered from his own fright wanted to make it
appear that he considered any one foolish who would actually allow
himself to be alarmed by such a silly thing as a white object.
"Anybody might have known it was only a white cur," he affirmed; "why,
if you looked right sharp you could see the shine of his eyes out there
in the shadows."
"Did you look sharp, George; and if so why didn't you put us wise?"
demanded Toby. "But I bet you were just as badly rattled as the rest of
us, only you won't own up to it."
"What, me? Huh, guess again, Toby, and don't measure everybody by your
own standard, please," George told him; meanwhile congratulating himself
over the fact that he had been standing in the shadow, so that none of
his mates could possibly have seen how pale he must have been.
"That dog couldn't belong around here, Elmer!" suggested Chatz.
"No, it was most likely some farmer's dog that had been running rabbits
through the forest, and chanced to wander over this way. But even he
considered it a queer place, and was glad to shake the dust of it off
his paws after he gave that one volley of barks. No danger of him coming
back."
"He scented us up here, don't you think?" continued Chatz.
"As like as not; but don't say anything more now, please. It must be
close on twelve o'clock!"
They knew what Elmer meant when he said that. If the ghost walked at all
it must be around the middle of the night. So they would have to take up
their weary vigil again, and await developments. Even whispering must
cease, and their attention be wholly given to watching, inside and out
of the house.
The seconds crept into minutes, though to some of the scouts these
latter had never moved with such leaden wings, and they could almost
believe hours were passing in review instead.
Had it been summer-time when they made this pilgrimage to the woods near
the old Cartaret house they would have expected to hear the chirping of
crickets in the lush grass; the shrill call of the katydid answering his
mate, and prophesying an early frost; and perhaps other sounds as
well--the croak of the bull-frog, the loud cry of the whippoorwill, or
the hooting of owls perched on some dead tree.
At the tail end of November, with most of the dead leaves strewn on the
ground, and the trees standing there bare of foliage, these familiar
sounds were hushed; and only a somber silence lay upon the land, which
was ten times more apt to produce nervousness on the part of the
listening boys than any combination of well known night cries.
Now and then some one would sigh, or move slightly; but beyond that they
maintained the utmost silence; which showed how well drilled they were
as scouts, and obedient to orders.
Their senses were under such a tremendous strain that it actually seemed
to Toby and perhaps Lil Artha, that they would have given a great deal
for the privilege of shouting at the top of their voices a few times;
but they did not attempt such a foolish remedy.
Lil Artha did make a slight movement after a long time, and as the
others fastened their anxious eyes upon him they saw that he had gently
taken out the little nickel dollar watch he carried. Bending forward so
that a ray of moonlight might fall on the face of the time-piece, Lil
Artha consulted it to learn if his suspicions were correct.
When he glanced around and saw that he was the center of observation, he
just nodded his head up and down several times. In that fashion he
informed the others that it was fully midnight; which was what they were
so anxious to know.
So far there had been no sign of a walking specter. George was getting
over his fears. He even commenced to shrug his shoulders every time he
saw one of the others looking his way. That was George's mute protest
against all this foolishness; of course he had known that it would end
this way right from the start, and had only agreed to come along to
please Elmer, as well as show them that ghosts had no terrors for any
sensible scout.
"'Sh!"
A thrill passed over every fellow as Elmer gave vent to this warning
hiss. They looked at him instinctively in order to learn the reason for
it, and found that the scout master did not seem to be staring out of
the open window as before. On the contrary he was intently focussing his
gaze down the wide hall toward the group of shadows that clustered at
the further end.
And as their eyes also roved in this direction once again did that cold
hand seem to grip every heart. Something white was moving there, beyond
the shadow of a doubt! They watched it advance, and then retreat
methodically, systematically, as though it might be a part of a
well-oiled machine.
Toby rubbed his eyes very hard, as though under the impression that they
were playing him false; while George shoved up closer to the next in
line, which happened to be Chatz, who bent over to stare into his face,
as though eager to learn the condition of George's bold heart.
What could it be? Certainly no dog had anything to do with this new
source of alarm, for it was tall, after the fashion of a man, and seemed
to be dressed in white from head to foot.
Though they listened with all their might none of them could catch the
sound of footfalls. If the mysterious object were a human being he must
be barefooted to be able to move along without making a sound; while if
it were a spirit, as doubtless most of them were ready to admit by now,
of course there was not anything remarkable about the silent tread,
because all spirits are able to project themselves through space without
even a shivering sound--so those who deem themselves competent to judge
tell us.
Elmer was perhaps also mystified more or less. Though he might know more
about the secrets of the old house than any of his companions, still
this particular manifestation was something he would like to have
explained.
There was no use asking any of the other boys, because they were
naturally much more shaken up than he could be, and hardly able to give
any information. The only way to do was to go to headquarters for his
knowledge of facts; in other words creep along the hall, keeping in the
shadows, until he found himself close enough to learn the true nature of
the "ghost."
That was what Elmer finally started to do. George managed to sense his
going, and the gasp he gave voiced his apprehension, as well as his
admiration for the bravery of his fellow scout.
"Stay here!" whispered the leader, in the lowest possible tone, which
could not have penetrated more than two feet away, but was enough to
warn the others that he did not wish them to follow when he crept away.
He went on hands and knees, picking out his shelter carefully as he
advanced.
Five other fellows crouched there and continued to watch, first that
puzzling white figure that noiselessly kept up its ceaseless parade back
and forth, and then the creeping scout, slowly and carefully covering
the space that separated him from the object under observation.
They did not know what to expect in the way of a shock; anything seemed
liable to happen just then. George in particular was wondering if his
scoffing remarks, so lately uttered, could have been overheard; and
whether they would likely attract particular attention in his quarter.
He also remembered what Chatz had said, while they were still near the
tents, to the effect that it was always much easier running in the
moonlight than when the pall of darkness lay upon things; not that
George was contemplating a wild retreat, of course not, so long as the
others stood their ground; but then it did no harm to be prepared like a
true and careful scout, so that he would know just how he must leap
through that open window if there arose a sudden necessity.
Meanwhile, there was Elmer hunching his way along the hall toward the
moving object in white that had so mystified them. He would raise
himself, and push along a foot or so, and then resume his squatting
position; but all the while steady progress was being made, and without
any noise, however slight.
When he had managed to make out what the nature of the white thing was,
Elmer planned to return again to his chums, and if it proved to be
simply a human being like themselves, he had a scheme in his mind
looking to first cutting off all retreat, and then making a capture,
after which perhaps they could learn what all this mummery meant.
Of course Elmer was always conscious of the fact that it would be an
unwise act for him to pass out of the line of shadow, and allow the
moonlight to fall upon him while making this advance. Fortunately there
was sufficient shadow to admit of his passage without taking these
chances.
He had already passed over a quarter of the distance separating him from
the mystery at the time he started, and everything seemed to be going as
well as any one could wish. If he could only keep the good work up a
little while longer Elmer believed he would be in a position to judge
things for what they were, and not what the fears of the boys had made
them appear.
By straining his eyes to the utmost he fancied that he could even now
make out what seemed to be the tall figure of a man, who was dressed all
in white. His bearing was erect, and he carried himself with the
stiffness of a soldier on parade. Yes, this comparison was made even
stronger by the fact that he seemed to have something very much like a
gun, though it may have been merely a stick, gripped tight, and held as
a sentry might his weapon, while pacing back and forth before the tent
where his commanding general lay sleeping.
Elmer also stopped to rub his eyes, not that he was doubting what he
saw, but the continued strain weakened them, and even brought signs of
tears, that made accurate seeing next to impossible.
Well, half a dozen or so more hunches ought to carry him along far
enough to enable him to make positive; and he believed he could
accomplish it without betraying his presence to the unknown walker, be
he human or a ghost.
By this time the scout had drawn so close that he thought it good policy
to remain perfectly quiet while the mysterious white object advanced
toward him, making all his progress when the other had turned, and was
moving away.
The half-dozen contemplated movements had now been reduced to three, and
he saw no reason to believe that his presence was known. This spoke well
for his work as a scout; it also promised such a thing as success.
Elmer had one thing in his favor, and this was an entire freedom from
any belief in things supernatural. While he never boasted, like George,
and some of the other scouts liked to do, at the same time he believed
that everything claimed as belonging to the realm of spirits could be
explained, if only one went about it the right way.
On this account, then, he had not allowed himself to give even the least
thought to such a thing as meeting a ghost. That white figure, to him,
must be a man, no matter what motive influenced him to act in this
strange way; and before he was done with the affair the scout master
hoped to be able to probe the enigma, and find a reasonable answer that
would fit the case.
Another turn along on his hands and haunches took him just that much
nearer the object of his solicitude. That left only two more to be
negotiated before he would have reached the mark he had mentally chosen
as the limit of his investigation. After that he must return to inform
his friends of his discoveries, so that together they might lay plans
looking to the capture of the white mystery.
But boys as well as men often lay splendid plans without taking into
account the element of chance that always abounds. Elmer might be doing
all he figured on, and yet meet with a cruel disappointment.
He had just drawn back to make the next to last forward hunch, and was
in a position where any other movement was an utter impossibility when
there sounded a loud and unmistakable sneeze! A draught of air had
caught George without warning, and brought this catastrophe about before
he could think to try and head it off by rubbing the sides of his nose
vigorously, or through any other known agency.
As the sneeze rang out Elmer, knowing what the result must be, attempted
to gain his feet, meaning to spring boldly forward; but his awkward
position placed a handicap on quick action, so that he wasted several
precious seconds trying. When he did finally manage to gain an upright
position it was to find that the white figure had vanished as utterly as
though the floor had opened and swallowed it up; nor had the scout heard
the slightest sound of a footfall.