“We can’t stay out here—we’ll be drenched to the skin!” cried the acrobatic youth. “Come on to the house!”
“But we don’t know the folks, Andy.”
“That doesn’t matter. Any port in a storm, as the sailors say.”
Andy started through the trees for the mansion and Pepper followed at his heels. Both ran across a small and badly-kept lawn and up on a broad piazza. Just as they reached the piazza there came a blinding flash of lightning and a peal of thunder that made both jump in fright. Then followed a crash of another kind.
“It struck a tree—out yonder!” exclaimed Pepper, pointing towards the road. “I am glad we weren’t under it!”
“Let us get in the house, where the rain can’t reach us,” answered his chum, and lost no time in ringing the door bell.
There was no answer to the summons, and Andy rang the bell again. Then, of a sudden, the wind increased, and the door of the mansion was blown wide open.
Thinking somebody had unfastened the door and been unable to hold it against the wind, the acrobatic youth entered the hallway beyond, and was followed by Pepper.
“Excuse us, but we came in to get out of the storm,” said Andy, trying to see around him, for with the darkness outside the hallway was pitch black.
To his astonishment nobody answered. A gust of wind came into the hallway and lifting a picture from its nail hurled it to the floor with a crash. Then Pepper caught the door and shut and bolted it.