"You say the ghost seemed to grow in height while Dan looked at it," observed Mr. Warren. "Did Dan's fears make him say that, or was it a part of the trick?"
"Of course I am not positive on that point," was Bob's reply, "but I think it was a part of the trick. I gave but one hasty glance at the dummy, but I took note of the fact that it was rigged on a very long pole, and it would have been easy for the man who was managing it to raise it higher and higher above the bushes, if he wanted to do it. I also noticed that the face was made of a stuffed pillow-case, which had been blackened with a piece of coal to show where the eyes, nose and mouth ought to be."
"What do you think suggested to them the idea of making use of a dummy to frighten folks away from their hiding-place?"
"I don't know, unless it was the success that attended their efforts to keep Tom and me from going there," answered Bob.
But the sequel proved that, although he had guessed pretty closely on some things, he had shot wide of the mark when he guessed at this one.
"As good luck would have it, you went into the gorge while the robbers were absent on a plundering expedition," said Mr. Warren. "But suppose you had found them at home, and ready to receive you—what then?"
"But we didn't, you see!" exclaimed Tom, triumphantly. "We had the camp all to ourselves."
"I must say that you are a reckless lot," declared Mr. Warren, "and it would be serving you just right if Uncle Hallet should order you to be ready to start for school when the next term begins."
Bob looked blank, but Tom hastened to quiet his fears by saying:
"He will never think of such a thing. He is a firm friend of Mr. Shippen," (that was the name of the county official who was suspected of making way with the bonds and other valuable documents that had been placed in his hands for safe keeping), "and when Uncle Hallet knows that we can clear him, he will be so delighted that he won't think of scolding us. There he is now. He has been out to get some flowers for his library table."