of like a ghost or a--you
know--a spectre.

Then, all of a sudden Artie Van Arlen's hat blew off and I heard a
branch of a tree crack.

"Where is the canoe?" Doc said, all excited; "do you see it?"

We looked all over, but couldn't see him anywhere. That was just how
quickly it happened. Then, all of a sudden I could hear a voice, but I
couldn't hear it plain, because the wind was blowing the other way and
the rain was making such a racket on the porch roof. The voice was all
mixed up with the wind and it sounded spooky and gave me the creeps.

For a couple of seconds nobody said anything.

CHAPTER XV

TELLS ABOUT AN ACCIDENT

The next thing I knew there was a loud splash and I heard the
spring-board down on the shore crack, and when I looked there I could see
it jumping up and down.

I knew what that meant.

"Who dived?" Westy shouted; "he must be crazy! He can't make it. Hurry
up, let's get a boat out! Do you hear the voice now?"

After that everything seemed to happen all in a jumble. Westy and Doc
and I ran to the landing and got one of the boats off, while the
fellows up on the porch shouted to the fellow who had dived to come
back, because he couldn't make it. I heard one fellow yell, "You're
crazy; come back while you can! They're getting a boat out!"

I was so busy helping to push the boat into deep water that I didn't
think any more about the fellow who dived, only I supposed he must have
turned back. I heard the fellows shouting, but I didn't pay any
attention. Out on the lake I could hear the voice now calling help, and
it sounded creepy, like a person trying to call while he's gargling.

Doc said, "It's all up with him; hurry, anyway."

It was pretty hard getting the boat started, because the wind kept
blowing it ashore, and we had to pull and tug for all we were worth. I
got in back of it and shoved out till I was beyond my depth, then
jumped in while Dock and Westy pulled for all they were worth, trying
to get her ahead.

I guess most everybody at the camp was up on the porch by now, and
there were a lot crowding on the spring-board.

"Pull hard," Doc said; "the next cry will be the last one; I know the
sound."

Just then we heard a long cry, but it didn't say any word, just h--e--
e--

And then it stopped.

Doc said, "Pull hard anyway; you steer her, Roy. Right over there--a
little to the left--you can see the canoe."

I looked over there and saw it upset and no one was near