solutely nothing here. So where did the ghost come from?"

"Where does any ghost come from?" Rick asked. "Same place." Their
inspection should have settled it, but he wasn't ready to quit yet. To
give up would mean admitting that the Blue Ghost was really a spook. He
might have to admit it eventually, but not until all avenues of
investigation were closed.

"Now what?" Scotty asked.

"Let's look around some more."

Barby thought this was nonsense and let them know it. "You two can prowl
around all you want to," she said. "But I'm not going to get an overdose
of sun spook hunting on the rocks. Coming, Jan?"

"Lunch at noon sharp," Jan reminded the boys. "We'll go help Mother.
Good luck."

Rick and Scotty watched them go, then sat down next to the pool.

"What's on your mind?" Scotty asked.

Rick shrugged. "Nothing. I haven't the ghost of an idea about this
ghost."

"It was pretty real," Scotty remembered.

"Too true." It was so real that Rick almost believed in it. But he was
bothered by a vague feeling that something was wrong.

"Look, Scotty. I've read plenty of ghost stories, and I've read the book
by Charles Fort that Dad has in the library. Nothing was ever said about
this kind of ghost. I mean, a ghost that went in for public appearances
promptly at nine whenever he had an audience. Of course, there's no rule
that says a ghost has to behave in any definite way, but this is too ...
well, it's too perfect, if you know what I mean."

"I do. It's almost like a show, isn't it?"

"That's it. It's a performance more than an appearance, if there's any
distinction. The ghost did exactly what he's been doing. Same act."

Scotty grinned. "Why not? The act is part of the legend, and it's a
pretty convincing one."

Rick cocked an eyebrow at him. "Whose side are you on? The ghost's or
mine?"

"I have an open mind," Scotty explained.

The phrase rang a bell in Rick's head. Open mind--open _mine_. Could
there be some connection between the abandoned mine and the ghost? After
all, the shaft was almost under them. He broached the idea to Scotty.

His pal rose. "Nothing like finding out. Are you for it?"

"I'm for it. Can we get in?"

"We'll soon see."

The boys scrambled down the hill and inspected the entrance. Boards had
been nailed across the timbered opening, but the nails were rusted and
the boards weathered. They could get in simply by pulling the boards
loose.

"How about light?" Scotty asked. "We