d
combine with the oxygen in the water to form harmless salts. I can't be
sure, of course. I'm just trying to think of ways the ghost might be
produced."

Barby sniffed. "You're a long way from an answer, I'd say. Even if your
old chemicals could make the white mist, they couldn't make the Blue
Ghost appear and go through the business of getting shot!"

"Too true, Sis. I'm not claiming a thing. So far we have only some
pretty wild speculation, plus an interesting ice-cream man, an offer to
buy part of this property, and some missing cement bags. Old ones, too."

Barby had to smile. "If you can tie all those things together into a
ghost, I'll type up your science project for free, and as many copies as
you need!"

Rick grinned. "And if I don't?"

"I won't be surprised, but you can get me a new record album."

"Done. You've got a bargain." Rick turned to Dr. Miller. "There's one
bit of information your tenant farmer, Mr. Belsely, can get for us that
none of the rest of us can get. That is, do the real-estate agent and
the ice-cream man know each other, and in particular, are they friendly?
He could ask around town without causing suspicion."

"I'll ask him right now," Dr. Miller replied. He went to the telephone
in the big farm kitchen and dialed. After a moment he said, "Clara?...
Is Tim there?" He waited, then said, "Tim, I have a little job for
you.... No, not that. Just asking a casual question around town....
Tim.... Hello ..." He hung up and turned to the others. "The phone went
dead."

Rick saw that his substage illumination was out, too. "So did the
electricity."

Dr. Miller frowned. "It's unusual for both the phone and current to go
out at once. That must mean a tree is down across the lines. Both lines
cross the creek within a few feet about half a mile upstream."

There was nothing for it but to wait the storm out.

Rick and Dr. Miller resumed their chess tournament. Scotty spent the
time making an improvised game of Yoot, an ancient Korean game that can
be played almost anywhere, under nearly any circumstances. At its
simplest, the Yoot board can be scratched in the dirt with a stick, and
the Yoot throwing sticks that take the place of dice--or a spinning
arrow--in similar Western games can be cut from a twig. Scotty sketched
the board on a piece of cardboard from a box in which groceries had been
carried and made the throwing sticks by splitting a piece of cane from
an ancient cane chair in the