ans.

The sun had set only minutes before and the sky was still tinged with
red. Rick noted that the waters of the creek picked up the color, and
for a moment his active imagination peopled the empty fields with blue
and gray cavalrymen locked in mortal combat. He could almost hear the
thunder of hoofs, the excited neighing of the mounts, even the solid
sound of a heavy saber meeting yielding flesh. He shivered. After all,
it had been like that for a brief period many years ago.

Scotty moved to his side. "This is the oddest ghost-hunting expedition
I've ever been on. No equipment but a flashlight. Not even an electronic
spook spotter."

Rick nodded agreement. "Too true. But any experienced ghost grabber
knows that you can catch a sackful with only a flashlight and a pair of
shoestrings."

"Why the shoestrings?"

"You tie their ectoplasm together top and bottom and they're trapped in
it. Like a burlap bag."

The boys had been bringing up the rear of the little procession and the
others had not heard the soft-spoken exchange. Rick was just as glad.
Weak jokes somehow didn't fit. It was the very lack of preparation, the
simple walk after dinner to see the ghost, that made it all somehow very
convincing. The Millers, both quiet people, were never much at small
talk, but both girls were chatterers. Yet, even the girls were quiet.

"They _know_," Rick thought. "They know what we're going to see. They're
awed and a little frightened, but they're leading us to it, even knowing
how it will be. Scotty and I are the ignorant ones. The others feel the
weirdness and we don't."

He lengthened his stride and joined the Millers. "Sir, how can you be so
sure we'll see the apparition tonight?"

"One can't be sure, of course. But so far as we have heard, the
apparition hasn't missed a public gathering in a month. There will be
one tonight, a service-club outing from over in Manassas."

"They must not be afraid of the ghost," Rick commented.

"They may not have heard of it," Mrs. Miller explained. "I don't believe
any newspaper has carried a story, so word of mouth would be the only
way of knowing."

"Or perhaps they have heard but couldn't cancel it," Dr. Miller added.
"That's the case with most of the affairs now being held at the grounds.
A great number have been called off. Only those scheduled far in advance
with lots of guests are still going on, simply because it's too
difficult to change them."

Scotty asked, "The