Laura grasped the sheet that enfolded Billie and tugged at it wildly.
"Billie, come back, come back!" she cried. "We may be seen from the house any minute."
"But it was the 'Codfish,'" cried Billie wildly. "If I only had a—a gun, or something!"
"Yes, but you haven't, and he probably has." Laura was dancing with impatience, glancing now over her shoulder at the dark woods, now toward the house, standing out boldly in the moonlight. "Billie, for goodness sake, don't be so crazy. We can't do anything!"
So Billie at last allowed herself to be dragged away. They found the "ghosts" talking excitedly about what had happened. And every once in a while a girl would glance nervously over her shoulder into the dark shadows of the woods.
"Goodness, he must be a regular robber," Connie said in an excited whisper.
"And to think it's Billie's 'Codfish', the man who stole her trunk!" said another. "I'm scared to death!"
"D-don't you t-think we'd better go back?" asked Vi, her teeth chattering.
"I guess so," agreed Connie, looking fearfully about her. "He may be in the woods now. He may even be listening to what we say!"
This was enough for the girls. Without even a backward glance they scurried across the lawn like so many little white phantoms and in at the side door of Three Towers Hall.