words about it. As
soon as the field was clear, Maezli rushed out of a hiding-place, pulling
Apollonie with her. The old woman was terribly apologetic about having
gone into the room. When she had told Maezli that she wanted to see her
mother, the little girl had taken her there without any further ado. She
informed the Rector's widow that she had come to her with a quite
incredible communication.

Mrs. Maxa found it necessary at this point to interrupt her friend. She
had noticed that Maezli was all ears to what was coming.

"Maezli, go and play with Lippo till I come," she said.

"Please tell me all about it afterwards, Apollonie," was Maezli's
instruction before going to do as she was bid.

Apollonie's communication took a considerable time. She had just left
when the family sat down to a belated supper.

Kurt swallowed his meal with signs of immoderate impatience. As soon as
possible he rushed away, after having given his promise not to come home
late. The friends that were to join him in this expedition had to be
sought out first. When he neared the meeting place, he felt a little
disappointed. In the twilight he could see that there was a smaller
number assembled than he had hoped for. This certainly was not the crowd
he had had together at noon when at least all the boys had promised to
take part in his new enterprise.

"They were afraid, they were afraid," all voices cried together. Kurt
heard now, while each screamed louder than the other that many boys and
girls had left when the darkness was beginning to fall. Among the few
that were left there were only four girls.

"It doesn't matter," said Kurt. "There are enough people still. Whoever
is afraid may leave. We must start, though, because we have rather far
to go. We are not going up the well-known path, because Mr. Trius
watches for apple-hunters there till midnight, I think. That suits us
exactly, for he must not hear us. We are going up to the woods at the
back of the castle. First, we'll sing our challenge, then comes the
pause, to give the ghost enough time, then again and after that for the
third and last time. If there really is a ghost, he will have appeared
by then. You can understand that he won't let himself be teased by us.
So when he hasn't come, we can tell everybody what we did. Then they'll
see that it is only a superstition and that there is no wandering ghost
in Wildenstein. Forward now!"

The little crowd set out full of spirits a