There was no use trying to talk George down, once he got started, and no one knew this better than Toby, who had been worsted in many a verbal encounter before now, so he only jerked his head contemptuously, and lifting his burden, called out to the others:
"Come along, boys, if you've decided to be witnesses to my triumph. Mebbe your names will go ringing down the ages too, as being present when the glorious test was made that marked the end of aviators' perils."
"One thing I think we'd better do, Toby," suggested Ty.
"Well, name it," the other threw over his shoulder as he tramped sturdily along, carrying his wonderful parachute ready for business.
"When you say you're all ready for the jump I'm going to give the wolf call, so Elmer, Lil Artha and Chatz can have a chance to come around, and share the honor with us of being living witnesses of your work."
Toby seemed to ponder this for half a minute; and then remarked:
"I guess that would only be fair, because Elmer might feel huffed if I jumped into glory, and him not there to see it. Yes, I'll get up on the tower and when I say the word you give the 'how—oooo' call that'll fetch 'em running."
"Consider that a bargain then, Toby," Ty told him; "and remember, don't you go to making your jump till they come up. Elmer might be provoked, and believe you sneaked off unbeknown to him to try the same. They're likely somewhere close by, I reckon, and we're apt to run across the trackers hard at work while we're on our way to the haunted house right now."
But they did not, although they caught the sound of voices through the aisles of the dense woods, and knew that Elmer with his comrades must be somewhere, not far away.
The old building stood there just as they had seen it before. Landy and Ty had not been along when the nutting party met with their first adventure here; but on the preceding afternoon they had surveyed the wreck of a house, so that their only experience had not been the one at midnight.