"I am quite ill," the professor faintly declared, in a feeble tone of voice. "The exertions of the day have been far too severe for me."
"Yah, yah!" gurgled the Dutch lad. "You vos anodder. Oxcuse me while I go oudt to ged a liddle fresh air."
He made a bolt for the open door, and Professor Scotch was not long in following. Frank, however, was determined to be thoroughly satisfied, and he again began looking for the body of the dead man, once more going over the entire hut.
"The body is gone, beyond a doubt," he finally muttered.
"There is no place for it to be concealed here, and dead men do not hide themselves."
He went out, and found Professor Scotch and Hans awaiting his appearance with no small amount of anxiety.
"Ah!" said the professor, with a deep breath of relief, "you are all right."
"All right," said Frank, with amusement; "of course I am. What did you think? Fancy I was going to be spirited away by spooks?"
The little man drew himself up with an assumption of great dignity.
"Young man," he rumbled, in his deepest tone, "don't be frivolous on such an occasion as this. You are quite aware that I do not believe in spooks or anything of the sort; but we are in a strange country now, and strange things happen here."