The Watermelon immediately jumped to the porch, disdaining the few steps, and disappeared behind the vines which covered one end and concealed the window.
Bartlett turned reassuringly to the general. "It will be all right, Charlie. Don't worry about it. Why, I've always called Mrs. Higgins, Aunt Sally."
Visions of hot sausages, bread and milk die hard when one is hungry and the general snorted. "That's all right. I am hungry enough to break into the Bank of England if it resulted in something to eat, but what can we find in an empty house?"
"Ghosts," said Henrietta.
Billy pinched her. "If you think there are ghosts in there, Henrietta, I simply won't go in."
"Certainly there are ghosts," said Henrietta. "There always are in empty houses. Where else do you find them?"
"We will return to the village," declared the general, "and get something to eat. I will get the book—"
"An empty house is better than the countryside," said Bartlett. "And we have plenty to eat in that basket Henrietta put up."
"If there is something to eat—" wavered the general.
A light gleamed a moment through the crack of the door and then the door opened and the Watermelon grinned at them in the light of a small smoky lamp he held.