dles unpacked, you two. I
want to hear about this mysterious business."

In a short time the three of them had stowed the week's supply of food,
and Mrs. Brant produced fresh doughnuts and cold milk.

"Now," she said, "suppose you read the letter, Scotty."

Dr. Hartson Brant, Rick's dad and head of the island scientific
foundation, came into the kitchen in time to hear the last remark. "Can
I listen too?" he asked. "With milk and doughnuts to help, of course."

Rick personally poured the milk for his father and added doughnuts to
the plate, just to save time. He couldn't admit it to Scotty, of course,
but he was plenty curious in spite of his skepticism. He knew Scotty,
and his pal wouldn't get excited over some silly business that Barby
might write about.

Scotty produced the letter. "It's addressed to both Rick and me," he
began, "and it's from both Barby and Jan. Shall I read?"

"Go on," Rick said impatiently, and had to bear Scotty's knowing grin.
Scotty knew that Rick's bump of curiosity was the largest thing he
owned.

"Okay. It starts with 'Dear Rick and Scotty.'"

"Interesting," Rick said. "Unusual."

"Uh-uh. Quiet, please. It goes on, 'You must come at once, both of you,
because we have a ghost here. I know Rick will think I'm silly, but it's
true.' And Jan put in a sentence in her own handwriting at this point
that says, 'Barby is right. It's not only true, it's unbelievable.'"

Scotty continued. "'We heard about the ghost first thing we arrived,
from Mr. Belsely, the Millers' tenant farmer. Of course we didn't
believe it, but last night we went to a picnic at the Old Mine
Campground, and we saw it too! Honestly, we're still both lumpy with
goose pimples. It was just ghastly, but it was kind of romantic, too. If
Dr. and Mrs. Miller hadn't been along, I don't think we'd have believed
we had really experienced such a thing. But they saw it, too, and Dr.
Miller says he has never heard of anything like it.'"

Rick waited for more, scarcely breathing for fear of missing a word.

"'So you had better come right away,'" Scotty read on. "'You can fly
down and land right at the Millers'. We have shown on the map where to
land, and we will put out white towels to make a panel so you can see us
from the air. Please hurry. Barby and Jan."

"Sounds pretty urgent," Hartson Brant said with interest. "Anything
else?"

"Yes, sir. There's a postscript from Dr. Miller. He says, 'The girls
were pretty excited when