.

"Yes. When he was awakened by Mun's falling out of bed the first thing
he called to me was that the ghost had got Mun. I don't understand where
the children heard anything about such a thing."

"Nor I," said Daddy Bunker.

"We mustn't let them get the idea that anything is wrong here at Great
Hedge," went on Grandpa Ford. "It might frighten them, though, of
course, it is nothing like a ghost. I can't imagine where they got the
idea, but we must not speak of it again in front of them.

"I do wish we could find out what it is that makes such a queer noise.
Your mother and I," he said to Daddy Bunker, "have heard it many times,
and now, the first night you are here, it sounds again."

"But only once," said Mr. Bunker, "and that may have been the wind, as
we said it was."

"No, it wasn't the wind," declared Grandpa Ford. "For I have heard the
same moaning sound when there was hardly any wind. The wind has died
down now. It is quieter. I think the storm has stopped, or soon will."

He went to the window to look out, and, as he did so, there sounded
through the house a deep, dull groan. It seemed to fill many rooms, and
for a moment Daddy and Mother Bunker and Grandpa and Grandma Ford looked
at one another. Then they listened to see if any of the children were
awake. But upstairs all was quiet.

"There it goes again," said Grandpa Ford.

"I heard it," answered Daddy Bunker. "I wonder what it could have been?"

"The wind," said Mrs. Bunker in a low voice.

"But the wind has stopped blowing," remarked Grandma Ford.

"Oh, well, we'll find out what it is soon," said Daddy Bunker. "Don't
let it worry you. We came here, Mother dear, to help you hunt for the
queer noise, and that's what we'll do."

The grown folks listened, but the noise did not sound again, and then,
as it was getting late, they all went to bed. Nothing disturbed them
until morning.

"Hurray! It's stopped snowing!" cried Russ as he ran to the window and
looked out. "Now we can make a snow man."

"And a snow fort!" added Laddie.

"And slide downhill, I hope," said Rose. "I wonder if Grandpa Ford has
any sleds we can take?"

"He said there were some," declared Vi. "I asked him last night. And
there are skates, too. I asked him that."

One might depend on Vi to ask the questions.

"Then we'll have lots of fun!" said Russ. "Come on, now, we'll get our
breakfast and then we can go out and have fun."

"I want to go out and see where the horses