"But tell us, weren't you close enough up to see whether it was a real ghost or not?" demanded George, arousing to his old self again.
Chatz could be heard giving a little indignant snort. He was evidently unable to understand how any one could doubt after seeing what they had. Chatz, with all his leaning toward a belief in spirits, had never before come so close to an object that had all the earmarks of a ghost; and he was correspondingly elated.
"I guess I was all of that," Elmer replied, quietly.
"And what do you think about it, Elmer?" continued George, persistently.
"We want to know!" added Toby, determined to get his word in somehow.
"There's a whole lot to tell," said Elmer, "and this isn't just the place to begin the story. So let's get back to the camp, where we can sit around the fire for another half hour, while I enlighten you on some things I happen to know."
What he said gave the others a new thrill. For the first time some of the scouts became aware that their leader had all along been in possession of certain facts in connection with the strange appearance of this reputed ghost. One or two there were, notably Chatz Maxfield, who had suspected something of the kind, owing to the queer way Elmer had often smiled while the others were disputing fiercely concerning the possible identity of the specter.
"That sounds good to me, Elmer," announced Lil Artha, without a second's hesitation, "and for one I'm ready to skip out of this place. It's raw and spooky enough here to give us all pneumonia. Let's get alongside a cheery old camp fire; and then you to spin the yarn. It wouldn't surprise me so much if I heard that you'd known the pedigree of our ghost all along, and was just holding back to see what fun you could shake out of the situation."
"No, you're wrong there, Lil Artha!" declared the scout master, earnestly; "that isn't so. I began to have my suspicions, but up to now had found nothing to confirm them enough to warrant me telling what I knew, or thought. But the time has come, because this thing has gone far enough. Lend me your little flash-light torch, Lil Artha. The rest of you wait here for me again, please."
As Elmer hurried away they noticed that he was making along the hall directly toward the spot where they had recently seen the weird white object that moved forward and back, again and again, with the regularity of clockwork.