“What a fade-out for our ghosts!” murmured Sim.
“Not to be thought of!” declared Arden.
“I did have the idea of an animal for a moment,” was the young man’s answer. “But not after I investigated. I looked down the old ash-chute and even threw some pieces of bricks down. There was no come-back. Then I made another search of the old house, even going down cellar and looking at the bottom of the chute, where, you say, Jim was found.”
Arden nodded in confirmation.
“There was nothing there,” went on the narrator, “not even a wild animal smell, which is very characteristic, I assure you. So I went outside and had a look around. I got positive evidence, then, that no one but myself had entered the house.”
“How did you prove that?” pursued Terry.
“By the footprints in the snow. Or, rather, by a lack of footprints. The only marks were those I had made in entering and those Terry and Arden left, but they did not come near the house. So I knew that there was no one in the house with me.”
“And yet you heard that terrible yell!” whispered Terry.
“Yes, I heard it. There was no mistake about it.”
“What is your explanation?” asked Arden after a rather long pause.