e under the tan.

"It's the ghost!" he shouted. "It's him! In the field, by the plane!"

CHAPTER VI

The Dark Pit

The plane's klaxon horn wailed through the night with a noise audible
for miles. The boys pushed past the tenant farmer and ran through the
screen door on the porch. The plane was not yet in sight and it was very
dark out. The moon was hidden by a bank of low-lying clouds, a precursor
of rain.

Rick ran as fast as his long legs would carry him, which was fast enough
to hold a track record or two at Whiteside High. Scotty, in spite of his
greater weight, was not far behind.

At least one question was answered, Rick thought as he sped through the
trees, ducking now and then as he caught a glimpse of a low branch. The
ghost could set off an alarm system! He fumbled in his pocket to be sure
that he had the keys to the plane, and wondered if he would be in time
to keep the apparition from causing damage.

In the next instant he burst through the fringe of the orchard and broke
stride as he saw a pale-blue light dancing in the air around the dark
shadow of the Sky Wagon!

Scotty was right behind him. He, too, paused for an instant as he saw
the light, then both boys were moving at their best speed again.

Rick tried to control his breathing. The spurt was taking its toll, but
if he kept going he would get his second wind. He had to get to the
plane! He wondered briefly if a supernatural being could do physical
damage, then discarded the thought. He wasn't ready to accept that
anything supernatural could trigger purely physical alarm systems!

The light seemed almost to have features as Rick drew closer, like a
pale-blue jack-o'-lantern, but it was soon clear that this was no
hollowed pumpkin head. It was like a human head illuminated from within
by some ghastly luminescence.

"It's moving," Scotty called, his voice shaky. Rick saw at the same time
that the apparition was retreating, slowly, away from the plane.

It kept the distance constant, always retreating as the boys neared.
Their own pace had slowed; the initial sprint couldn't be kept up.

Rick ran directly for the plane, jumped the low wire fence, and inserted
his key in the door. He turned the key and the deafening blast of the
horn cut off, leaving a deep silence. He turned the key back again,
resetting the alarm system, then he jumped the fence once more. "Where
is it?"

"There." Scotty pointed to the bank of the creek. The gho