“He’s still in there,” Barry told them, as they stopped outside the door. “I haven’t taken my eyes off of the place since you left, and he hasn’t come out. Turn on the light, whoever has it.”
Mac pressed the button, and the beam of light showed the door. Barry wasted no time in summoning the one who was inside. With his rifle held forward he pushed the door of the tool house. Kent was close to him, and Tim brought up in the rear.
They were all excited and a trifle scared, but the general feeling was that the black shadow should be captured at once. Under Barry’s push the door yielded slightly, and it was evident that it was not locked. He gave it a stronger push, and it rushed back against the wall with a crash. The light from the flash swept into the shed.
Their nerves were tense and eyes strained as they looked about the tool house. And it was Barry who voiced the conviction of all of them:
“He got away! There’s no one in the place!”
CHAPTER XVIII
Down River
The mystery hunters were astonished and baffled as they gazed into the interior of the tool shed of the haunted lodge. No one was in the place. The garden tools hung in order, a large bale of hay stood back against the wall, but no human being was to be seen. Nor was there anywhere to hide. Mac turned the beam of the light upward. There was no loft, only some cross braces of wood that would not hide even a cat.
“But we saw him come in here,” Kent protested, as they stood and looked around.
“And I never took my eyes off of the shed,” Barry added. “I ran across from the woods and didn’t even watch my footing because I wanted to keep my eyes on the place. I can’t figure it out.”
Tim pointed to a small window in the rear.