“Nobody in sight,” Nicky agreed. “Tom, who was it—what did the face look like?”
“I don’t know,” quavered Tom. “It looked like—it was white—it was like a—ghost!”
“Pull yourself together,” said Mr. Gray quietly. “There aren’t any ghosts. Your imagination is keyed up. Perhaps you saw some bird fly past with the light on its wings and your excitement made you see the rest.”
“Come in, boys,” called Clarence Neale, “I am sure there was no occasion for fright.”
The two searchers returned.
“Brace up, Tom,” said Cliff, not unkindly. “Nobody was running away and nobody was in sight. You don’t want us to think that you really believe in ghosts!”
“No,” said Tom, sheepishly, “I don’t. I said it looked like one.”
“Well,” laughed Mr. Neale, “we have ‘sort of interrupted’ Captain Kidd, haven’t we?”
“Maybe it was his ghost!” grinned Nicky. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
Mr. Neale and Cliff’s father gave warning shakes of their heads and Nicky apologized for joking at Tom’s expense.