ion, they looked for a place of concealment from which to hold
vigil.

Rick found it, high in an oak. It was an easy climb, and from the huge
limb they could look through a screen of foliage and see without being
seen. Both boys were satisfied that they were unobserved. No humans knew
they were in the vicinity.

The Virginia mosquitoes were not so easily deceived. Both boys were
promptly located by a scouting party, and mosquito communications went
into fast operation. Within a few minutes the entire local mosquito air
force had invaded the tree. Rick waved his hands futilely at the whining
swarm and muttered unhappily, "There are so many they have to line up
for a bite."

"I know," Scotty replied in a whisper. "I wonder if they bite ghosts?"

"We'll soon see. It's a few minutes to nine."

In spite of the insects, the boys concentrated on the catch basin, alert
for any sign of the ghost. Their flashlights were ready to probe the
apparition if it should appear.

Rick glanced occasionally at the luminous dial of his watch. Then, on
the stroke of nine, he whispered, "Now."

Nothing happened. The boys bore the mosquitoes stoically and waited. Not
until his watch showed 9:15 did Rick speak aloud. "Let's get out of
here. I doubt that the ghost will be any later than this. He's not
performing tonight."

They dropped to the ground and scratched luxuriously. Scotty shook his
head. "No audience, no ghost. Mighty interesting."

"I'm with you," Rick agreed. "Now, suppose the ghost had known we were
going to be there. Would he perform for an audience of two?"

"Good question."

"We'll try for an answer tomorrow night," Rick stated. "Tomorrow we'll
spread the word around town that we're going to be watching, and let's
see what happens."

Scotty scooped up a pebble and tossed it into the creek as they crossed
the bridge. "You're sold on the man-made idea, huh?"

"Aren't you?"

"I would be if I had the slightest clue about how a ghost can be
produced. But this one baffles me. No darkened rooms, no ghost trumpets,
no knocks on tables, not even a chain clanking. A puff of mist and the
ghost appears. How is it done?"

Rick didn't know. He didn't even have an idea. "The pool bubbled," he
remembered. "That's our only clue. Why did the pool bubble?"

"Essence of spook," Scotty replied. "Spook essence does that to water.
Seriously, we poked in the bottom of the pool and found nothing."

"That doesn't mean there was nothi