"And he didn't answer?" demanded Chatz.
"We never heard a word, and that's a fact, boys," declared Toby Jones, uneasily.
Then they all looked around again, their eyes naturally roving in the quarter where, near the farther end of the dam, the old mill stood.
Its day was long since past. The great water wheel at the end of the sluice had partly fallen to pieces with the passage of time and the ravages of neglect. What was left seemed to be almost entirely covered with green moss, among which the clear little fingers of water trickled.
Suddenly a discordant scream rang out. It was so fearful that several of the fellows turned pale, and all of them started violently.
"There!" ejaculated Chatz.
His manner was almost triumphant; just as though he would like to demand whether these chums of his could not find some reason to believe as he did, after such a manifestation.
"Oh, glory, what was that!" quivered Landy, as he clutched the arm of Elmer Chenowith.
"But it didn't come from the mill," declared Larry. "Sounded to me like it was out there on the pond."
"Good for you, Larry," remarked Elmer.