Billie flushed at this direct query.
"Oh, I don't know," he answered lamely. "I come down the river a lot."
"We fed the owl," Kit said innocently. "Just some bread and ham. I suppose it thought it had a new kind of mouse."
Billie glanced at her with quick boyish indignation. They had not been satisfied with finding out his landing place and swimming hole. They had gone into the old house and discovered his secret den and the big white owl. He had always regarded girls as semi-dangerous, but this was worse than even he had expected. He turned to Piney as the one in the crowd that he knew best.
"What did you go into the house for?"
"Shelter for the night," Piney answered promptly. "The door was open and we went in. If folks don't want company they should keep their doors locked. Anyhow, nobody lives here and we didn't hurt a thing. We wanted to see the ghost."
Billie grinned at this admission, a quick mischievous grin that made his whole face light up and seem to sparkle with fun.
"Did he come up and rattle his chains for you?"
"No, he didn't, and I don't believe he ever did for anybody else."
"Maybe not," Billie agreed blandly. "How far up the river are you going?"