lways ready to back his enterprising chum, no matter what the other
suggested.

"Horatio, it's up to you now!" Hugh went on remorselessly, as K. K.
stopped the car at a signal from the other, and faint signs of what
had once been a road were to be distinguished just on the left.

"Majority rules, you know," said the wise Juggins boy, "and already
three have given their assent; so it's no back-out for little
Horatio."

"Course I'll agree, Hugh," quickly added Julius, when he saw that the
other had turned toward him. "I'm just as curious as the next fellow
to see that old haunted quarry--in the daytime, of course. Besides,
everybody knows there isn't any such thing as a ghost. All such
stories, when they're sifted down, turn out to be humbugs. Sometimes
the moving spectre is a white donkey browsing alongside the road.
Then again I've heard of how it was a swing that had a white pillow
left in it by the children, and the night wind caused it to advance
and retreat in a _terrible_ way. Hugh, let's investigate this silly
old business while we're on the spot."

And by these wonderfully brave words Julius hoped to dissipate any
notion concerning his alleged timidity that may have lodged in the
brains of his chums.

So K. K. started up again, and by another minute the old car had
passed in among the trees, with the overgrown brush "swiping" against
the sides every foot of the way. It was necessary that they proceed
slowly and cautiously, because none of them had ever been over that
long disused road before, and all sorts of obstacles might confront
the bold invaders of the wilds.

Hugh was using his eyes to good advantage, and at his advice the
others did the same. It was a good thing the car was old, and that
it mattered nothing how those stiff branches scraped against the
sides during their forward progress. K. K. knew how to manage, all
right, and, although the trail was quite rough in places where the
heavy rains had washed the earth away, and left huge stones
projecting, he was able to navigate around these obstacles
successfully.

Twice they came to low places where water ran, and there was some
danger of the heavy car becoming mired. At such times several of the
boys would jump out, and after investigating the conditions perhaps
throw a mass of stones and pieces of wood in, to make what Hugh
called a sort of a "corduroy road" across the swampy section of
ground.

It was all very interesting in the b