he said; and Tom
recognized a difference in his voice.

"Yer all over filth," said Tom. "Yer hands are bloody, ye've torn yer
trousers. Where've yer been? Have yer seen anything?"

"Rotten place," said Carl. "If I were Chesney I'd blow it up."

"Did yer see anything?" persisted Tom.

"What the deuce is there to see except bare walls and some ancient oak
furniture, must be hundreds of years old."

"It is," said Tom, "more--hundreds and hundreds. You looked a bit
scared when you came out--white as a sheet, eyes near shooting out of
yer head. Tell me what yer saw."

"Nothing," said Carl. "The place gave me the horrors. I lost myself
in the dungeon, took me a long time to find the steps again, that gave
me a shock, I had no matches left."

"There's folks been put in that place never saw the light o' day again.
Do you believe it's haunted?"

Carl made no reply for a few moments, then said:

"It may be; I shouldn't be surprised. I'm more inclined to believe you
since I've been inside."

"I thought as how you would. Seeing's believing," said Tom.

"But I tell you I did not see anything. I heard sounds."

"Ah!" exclaimed Tom. "What like were they?"

"Groans!"

"It's them ye heard, the spirits of the dead; the poor devils never
rest in peace," said Tom.

They were going across the moat. There was a splash and both started;
Tom almost dropped the oar.

"What's that?" he said. "Look!" and he pointed to the ripples in the
dark water circling.

"A fish rising," said Carl with a queer little laugh.

"There's no fish in here, don't believe there's even a carp in."

"Why not?"

"What 'ud fish be doing in this beastly hole?"

"Feeding."

"Nothing to feed on."

"You don't know what's at the bottom of that," said Carl, pointing
downward.

"And I don't want to. If it's fish, I'd not eat them," said Tom.

They walked back to the keeper's cottage. Jane met them at the door,
surprised to see the state of Carl's clothes. She asked where he had
been.

"Exploring the moat and the keep," he replied, thinking her pretty face
was a great help to banish phantoms.

Jane laughed as she said:

"You've had a fright. Keep away from the place, it's haunted; there's
danger when you meddle with 'em."

"I saw nothing in the keep. I told your father so."

Jane shook her head as she replied:

"Best say nothing about it; keep those things to yourself."

"Have you ever seen things there?" asked Carl.