"Oh! my! what if he happens to run across one of those ghosts he's always talking about?" suggested Toby Ellsworth Jones, whose grandfather had been a veteran, and a soldier under the colonel who died at Alexandria, Va., in the Civil War; whence the name of Ellsworth--Toby was just wild on the subject of aeronautics; and while thus far everything he attempted had proven as flat a failure as the famous flying machine of Darius Green, still he lived in hopes of accomplishing something that would make the name of Jones renowned.
Several of the boys struggled to their feet at this, finding themselves stiff in the legs after their long walk.
"Look! there's a light coming just flying along the road right now!" cried Larry Billings.
"And that must be Chatz on the full run, though he wouldn't yell out for anything!" exclaimed Mark.
"Something must be chasing him, fellows!" declared Toby, in great excitement.
"Perhaps it's a wildcat!" suggested Jasper Merriweather, who was a bit timid.
"Here he comes, and he can speak for himself. What ails you, Charlie; what happened to start you running?" asked the scout master, as the boy came hurrying up, breathing hard, and showing signs of positive alarm.
"Reckon I saw something, suh, that was mighty mysterious!" replied Chatz; at which the entire group of scouts looked at each other, and held their breath in awe.
"II SEE you found your buckle, Chatz," remarked Elmer, noticing what the other was holding in the hand that was not occupied in grasping the lighted lantern.
"Oh! yes, I picked that up where I tripped, and nearly fell flat," replied the other, quickly. "Just as I got up off my knees I happened to look alongside the road, where the trees grow so thick, and I give you my word, fellows, I saw a moving white figure that had the most terrible yellow eyes ever! I know you all laugh at me whenever I say I believe in ghosts; but if that wasn't one I miss my guess, yes suh."
"I'll dare you to go back with me till we find out," said Elmer, quickly.
Chatz hesitated; but for all his silly notions in this one line the boy was far from being a coward.
"All right, if you say so, I'm willing," he declared. "I'd just like to know what that was, anyhow, if not a specter. Come on, Elmer."