“Do you mean to tell me that you have lived to be seventeen years old and don’t know what a chimney-swallow is?”
“They don’t have them in the city where I live.”
“Well,” said Fred, pretending to be discouraged, “I cannot understand how any fellow can live as you have and yet not know that there are some birds called chimney-swallows that live in the chimneys of old or deserted houses. If you should look up there now you could see some nests fastened right to the sides of the chimney. I have never seen the birds, but I’m sure that’s what they are. Whenever we have come into the house we have probably frightened them and they have been flying around the room. They were the spooks that scared us so.”
“Do you suppose George knew about it?” demanded John ruefully.
“Of course he knew it. He has been saving it all up to add to his story of the speaking tube.”
“Well, it’s a comfort to know the old house isn’t haunted anyway.”
“Of course it isn’t haunted. There isn’t anything haunted because there isn’t anything like ghosts or spooks.”
“I’m glad to hear you talk so nicely, Freddie,” said John, who now had recovered from his chagrin. “If I’m not mistaken I’ve heard you talk in a different tone once or twice before when we have been here.”
“That’s all right,” said Fred glibly. “Now we have found out what the spooks are and we’ll show George that we’re not afraid of anything in the old Meeker House.”
The boys were still conversing in whispers, and as Fred made his bold declaration he abruptly stopped and looked anxiously toward the stairway. A sound mysterious and unexpected had been heard in the room directly above them. Both boys were convinced that either others were in the house, or that they had not yet found an explanation for all the mysteries of the old Meeker House.