He seemed to be a little nervous about approaching this place, for the bully had a bad reputation as a fighter among the boys of the town; but everything appeared to be quiet, and there was not a single light to be seen in the small house where the Mallon family lived.
All the same Toby breathed freer when he felt the bag slip from his grasp over the fence. Hardly had they managed this than there was an explosion of savage barks and a bulldog came rushing toward the corner.
"Wow! ain't I glad that Towser's on the other side of the fence?" Toby exclaimed, as he hastened to jump up on the wagon; while the dog continued to bark fiercely, with his blunt nose pressed against the palings surrounding the enclosure; "hurry, Elmer, and let's get away. I don't think he can climb fences, but I won't take any chances with that brute. He's spoiled one pair of trousers for me already."
Soon afterwards the two boys parted at the gate of the Jones place.
"I feel like we'd had a great time of it to-day, don't you, Elmer?" Toby was saying; and then, not waiting for an answer, he continued: "and I have to laugh every time I think of what a crazy scramble that Connie and his bunch put up when you gave 'em the ghost walk with that birch bark horn. Most people like to see the ghost walk on pay days, but this one wasn't the same kind. Wouldn't I give a cooky, though, to see what they look like to-night, and hear what they say about bein' chased by that Cartaret spook!"
"Well, it's been a good enough day for us, Toby; and I think we ought to have a great time if we go up in that region for our Thanksgiving camping trip. Good night," and with that Elmer walked away, not a little tired himself, for it had been a pretty strenuous day, all told.
In the morning he was up early, because he had an object in view, and Elmer was not the one to sleep late at any time, even though it were Sunday morning.
From a certain place up in the loft of the barn he knew he could see the Mallon yard quite plainly; and taking a field glass he owned along with him, he now proceeded to occupy this lookout.
As he had already had some breakfast he was nor bothered by gnawing hunger as he continued to sit there, and watch the back door of the Mallon cottage.
He saw Connie's mother come out several times, and judged she was getting breakfast ready. Then the big hulking boy himself appeared, bearing a bucket in his hand, and yawning at a great rate.