a miniature island. The walls of the pigsty which Thankful
had had built rose from a lake.

"It's a mercy Pat moved to drier quarters, eh, second mate!" chuckled
the captain. "He'd have had to sleep with a life-preserver on if he
stayed here."

They fed the hens and gave George Washington a liberal measure of oats
and a big forkful of hay.

"Don't want him to go hungry Christmas Day," said Captain Obed. "Now
let's cruise around and see if Patrick Henry is singin' out for liberty
or death."

The pig was not, apparently, "singing out" for anything. When they
reached the wall of the pen by the washshed he was not in sight.
But they heard him, somewhere back in the darkness beneath the shed,
breathing stertorously, apparently sound asleep.

Georgie laughed. "Hear him," he said. "He's so fat he always makes that
noise when he's asleep. And he's awful smart. When it's warm and nice
weather he sleeps out here in the sun. When it rains and is cold, same
as now, he always goes way back in there. Hear him! Don't he make a
funny noise."

Emily came hurrying around the corner of the house.

"Captain Bangs," she whispered. "Captain Bangs!"

The captain looked at her. He was about to ask why she whispered instead
of speaking aloud, but the expression on her face caused him to change
his question to "What's the matter?"

Emily looked at Georgie before replying.

"I--I want to see you," she answered. "I want you to come with me. Come
quick. Georgie, you must stay in the kitchen with Imogene."

Georgie did not want to stay in the kitchen, but when he found Jedediah
there he was more complacent. The ex-gold seeker and his tales of
adventure had a tremendous fascination for Georgie.

Emily led the way toward the front stairs and Captain Obed followed.

"What's up?" he whispered. "What's all the mystery about?"

"We don't know--yet. But we want you to help us find out. John and I
have been up to look at the haunted room and--and IT'S THERE."

"There! What?"

"The--the ghost, or whatever it is. We heard it. Come!"

At the door of the rooms which were the scene of Mr. Cobb's recent
supernatural experience and of Miss Timpson's "warning" they found
Thankful and John standing, listening. Thankful looked rather
frightened. John was eager and interested.

"You found him, Emily," he whispered. "Good. Captain, you and I are
commissioned to lay the ghost. And the ghost is in. Listen!"

They listened. Above the patter and rat