"Can it be possible that any of the inmates have escaped."

Billy Gordon shook his head. "Nothing as easy as that," he sighed.

"Great Scott! There it goes again!" breathed Larry. "It's down that way, too," pointing in the direction taken by Harriet Burrell.

It was a long, weird wail, well calculated to freeze the marrow in one's bones.

"Come on, fellows!" cried George, with a fine showing of resolution.

"We'll lay that ghost!"

George was the only one of the boys who thought to s.n.a.t.c.h up a club as he ran. But now the unearthly sounds came from the rear, instead of ahead of them. The boys wheeled abruptly, only to hear right in front of them a dismaying chorus of ghostly noises.

"Let's go!" urged Larry. "It's surely a lot of banshees!"

"Great Scott! Look!" quivered Sam, pointing with trembling finger.

In the faint light the boys made out a white figure that might have been anywhere from seven to ten feet in height. The boys were too scared to judge of length. The awful thing raised its draped arms, a frightful scream sounding on the air.

At that Billy lost his grip on Larry's arm. Goheen made no apologies, but made a straight, swift dash for camp.

The other boys hesitated for a few brief seconds; then they, too, headed for camp. They were not exactly running. They were leaping like as many frightened rabbits, fleeing from a rabbit hound. In their haste they lost their way and were proceeding directly toward the spot where Jane McCarthy was standing.

Jane finally heard them coming. She was filled with glee. She had feared that she was not to have an opportunity to play an important part in this ghost party. Making a noise like a ghost did not wholly satisfy Crazy Jane McCarthy. What she wanted was something more exciting. Her opportunity came very quickly. The boys were nearly up to her, ere she realized that they were so close.

A wild wail halted them.

"Come on, you fellows!" yelled George to his faltering companions.

"There it is!" howled Sam.

He had espied another figure that looked exactly like the first ghost.

George discovered it at about the same time. George made a brave rush toward the figure, yelling to frighten it. But Crazy Jane was not easily frightened. She advanced slowly, waving the long, draped arms, and moaning. All at once something came down on the head of George Baker, just as he had raised his club to hurl it at the ghost. The something was a long tough stick in the hand of Jane McCarthy.

George uttered a howl and sprang back. The ghost advanced on him. Billy got a light tap, then Sam yelled as something damp brushed his cheek.

He did not know that it was the leaf of a bush. He thought it the cold, clammy hand of the ghost.

The boys having gotten more than they had looked for, began to retreat.

Sam was the first after Larry to run. He did so with all speed, followed closely by George and Billy. They were confused. They did not know just where the camp was located. Glancing over their shoulders they saw that the ghost was pursuing them. The boys began to shout anew, and to run even at greater speed.

"There's some more of them," howled Sam.

"Yeow!" yelled George. He sprang to the left, in which direction he believed the camp lay, then he halted. Another ghost was confronting him. George hesitated. The ghost uttered a moan. The brave George Baker, captain of the Tramp Club, took to his heels. The others did the same, except that each took a different direction. Wherever they ran they were followed by moans and screams, princ.i.p.ally from the lips of Crazy Jane McCarthy.

It seemed to their excited imaginations that the woods were full of ghosts of giant stature, with voices capable of making one's hair stand on end. The worst of it was that the ghosts persisted in pursuing them.

They chased the brave Tramp Club right into camp, where the lads arrived one by one. Instead of stopping the boys bolted for the launch, in which the frightened Larry Goheen already had sought safety.

"Cast off," yelled George, the last to leap into the boat.

The launch was shoved from the sh.o.r.e and allowed to drift while the boys sat shivering, listening to the wails from the forest.

"Good-bye," answered Sam.

"Fellows, we are all cowards," declared George, beginning to get control of himself. "We should have staid and knocked them out."

"I'll go back, if you say so," answered Billy promptly.

"No. I've got enough of this place. To-morrow morning we break camp and go back to the other camping place. No more ghost parties for mine."

"As long as we have decided to move why not go now," suggested Larry.

The boys discussed the matter briefly, then decided that they would. Sam was put on guard to watch for the return of the ghosts while the others hurriedly broke camp. But there were no more ghostly moans nor ghostly intruders that night.

The ghosts in the persons of the Meadow-Brook Girls were on their way to their rowboat. Beaching it they sat down and laughed until their eyes were wet with tears.

"It was a mean trick to play on them," gasped Miss Elting. "But I think we have more than won our wager. It is a wonder that they didn't suspect us."

"There goes a boat!" cried Jane. "It's a launch."

"It is the boys. We have frightened them off," answered Miss Elting.

The girls rowed quickly home, but ere they had reached the entrance to the secret creek they were startled by the sound of a shrill scream.

They recognized the voice as Tommy's and began to shout, and to row with all their might. A moment later, just as they were about to turn into the opening with their boat, a canoe shot out and darted across their bows, disappearing in the darkness.

"A man, a man!" yelled Tommy as Harriet shouted to know if the two girls were all right. Tommy threw open the door and in her excitement walked off the after deck of the "Red Rover" and fell forward into the stream.

"Jane, do you recognize that man?" cried Harriet excitedly.

"Yes," exclaimed Jane, "he's the man I saw this afternoon, and he's our mysterious enemy too, or my name's not Jane McCarthy."

CHAPTER XXIII

ON A STORMY CRUISE

It was late on the following forenoon when the Meadow-Brook Girls might have been observed towing the "Red Rover" out from the creek in which it had been anch.o.r.ed. They decided that it was high time to leave.

During their absence, and while they were frightening the Tramp Club with sheets draped over sticks and carried high above their heads, Tommy and Margery had been having an exciting experience. They had been anxiously peering out of the cabin, when after an hour or so they discovered a canoe approaching the scow. At first they thought it one of their own party who was paddling the canoe. They soon discovered that it was a man. The girls were too frightened to do more than watch him in almost breathless silence. But when the man climbed aboard the after deck, after satisfying himself that the boat was deserted, they decided that it was time to move.

Tommy uttered a scream. Margery followed suit and their cries had been heard by the returning ghost party. The man did not tarry to see who had screamed. He sprang into the creek, where, pushing his canoe ahead of him, he ran down the stream. He had then leaped in and had given the paddle the first swift sweep when discovered by Harriet and her party.

Miss Elting was really alarmed when she heard their story. She decided to sit up all night and watch. Jane and Harriet kept watch with her.

They did not retire until daylight, after which they got a few hours of sleep. Then came a late breakfast and the preparations for departure.

They were going back to the other side of the lake, where they intended to tie up at their old anchorage near the main camp of the Tramp Club.

After dragging the houseboat out and finding a suitable anchorage, Harriet rowed over to the mainland. Running up to the farmhouse she telephoned to the nearest town for a launch to come down and give them a tow. Billy Gordon and his motor boat were not on hand for the purpose this morning.