pplies, I suppose?" asked Bluff,
bent on squeezing the orange dry, and not throwing the skin away as
long as there remained a single chance for extracting a drop of juice.

"I would not dare to do it, though if I had my own way--but no matter,
you must not stay here a minute longer. Even now he may have heard the
knock, and come to investigate. It is most unusual; we have not had a
visitor for years. I wish I could oblige you, but it is impossible.
Good-bye!"

With that she closed the door in the faces of the astonished, as well
as amused, campers, and Bluff burst into a series of low chuckles.

"Wow! but doesn't that beat the Dutch?" he exclaimed, as though
overpowered by the humorous aspect of the adventure. "Listen to her
pushing that monster bolt into its socket. Gee whiz! I never knew
before I looked so dangerous. I'll have to cultivate a new sort of
grin, because the one I practice now didn't have any effect on the old
lady."

"Let's move along, Bluff. There's no use in our staying here any
longer after having the door slammed in our faces," said the amazed
Frank.

Together they started slowly away from the house, glancing back
curiously over their shoulders several times, for they wished to
remember what the mysterious building looked like.

"Will must manage to get up here some time," Bluff was saying,
"because I'd just like to have him get a picture of the place as we
see it now. Then if ever we happen to hear anybody speak of old
Dennison and his hide-out we can flash that view before them."

They had almost reached the place where the loose board had afforded
them ingress to the enclosed grounds belonging to the estate when a
strange sound came stealing to their ears. Both boys instantly
stopped and listened to learn if it was repeated, but such did not
come to pass.

"What in the dickens do you suppose that was, Frank?" demanded Bluff,
turning his face, marked by a commingling of wonder and awe, on his
comrade.

"Tell me what you think first," the other replied.

"I'll be switched if I know, Frank! It just went through me like a
knife, it was so queer. If this were the middle of the night now I
might mention ghosts, because if there were such things I'd imagine
them making just about that sort of a sound."

Frank laughed at that.

"Well, since this is broad daylight," he observed, "and ghosts are
said never to walk except around twelve at night, we'll have to look
somewhere else for our expl