"Well, hardly," replied Lil Artha, "though some of us wish it might be so, because we've got a gun along, and they say bear steak isn't half bad when you're in camp, even if it does taste like dry tough beef when you're at home, and sitting down with a white table cloth before you. I'd like to try some, that's what; but this expedition wasn't started for a bear hunt, you know."
"No, that's so," Ty Collins remarked; "more likely a ghost hunt," and he gave Chatz a sly look out of the corner of his eye as he said this.
"That was meant for me, suh," Chatz said, with dignity; "you think you can laugh at me because I'm weak enough to believe there may be such a thing as a ghost. But if you-all are so sure nothing of the kind ever could happen, what's to hinder me from having the entire camp along to-night when I go over there and hide, to watch what happens at exactly midnight?"
Elmer laughed softly.
"Do you mean that as a dare, Chatz?" he asked.
"Take it as you please, suh; and we'll soon see who believes in ghosts or not; because the one who backs down first is likely after all to be afraid of meeting up with visitors from the spirit land."
"Who's going along with Chatz and myself?" asked Elmer, turning to the circling scouts; who began to look serious, and cast quick glances toward each other.
"Oh! I'll keep you company, Elmer!" said George, first of all; for somehow he fancied everybody was staring hard at him, and not for worlds would he allow them to think he was afraid.
"Count me in!" added Ty Collins, with a laugh, that bordered on the reckless.
"I'll go along, too," observed Ted.