come into her possession, since she did not
know to whom she should restore it; and beginning to feel, with
Jessica, that "money" did carry discord and danger with it.

But the little captain was now all eagerness, and exclaimed:

"Oh! how I wish I'd seen it! Aunt Sally, I never saw a ghost in all my
life, never! I thought they were just make-believes, but if you saw
one, of course they're true. Do you s'pose we could see it again if we
went out to look? Will you go with me?"

"I? I! Well, I guess not. Not a step will I step----"

"But several steps I'll step, Mrs. Benton. I advise the money going
into the office safe, that old Ephraim uses when he's at home. One of
us better camp out on the lounge in the room there till we get rid of
whoever's cash that is. I'll bunk there myself, if you like, Mrs.
Trent, after I step outside and see if all's serene with my prisoner,"
said Samson, cheerfully.

"May I go with you, Samson? May I, mother?" asked Jessica.

The mother's consent was somewhat reluctant, for now she could not
bear to have her darling out of sight. Yet if anybody on earth was to
be trusted with so precious a charge it was the herder. Besides, she
was annoyed at this talk of "ghosts," and knew that the shortest way
to convince Jessica how nonsensical it was, would be by allowing her
to go out and seek for them herself.

But Samson answered cordially:

"You do me proud, little one. Suppose you take your rifle, and then,
if we see any specter you can pin it to the mission wall, and we'll
have a show, charging ten pins' admission."

They went out, laughing and gay; the child clinging to the giant's
hand, and hoping that she might really see the phantom of Aunt Sally's
story, for she had no fear concerning it. They came back, five minutes
later, looking grave and seriously alarmed.

CHAPTER IX.

THE PRISONER DISAPPEARS

"What's happened?" asked Mrs. Trent, foreboding fresh trouble, since,
of late, trouble had become so familiar a visitor.

"Well, ma'am, the bird has flown."

"Please explain, Samson," she anxiously urged.

"That bird of dark plumage--Ferd, the dwarf. He's escaped, vamoosed,
took wings and flew."

"Oh, Samson! I'm so sorry. I hoped you would look after him until I
could find some suitable institution in which to place him. It's time
he should be helped, for if he's so sharp to do evil, he must have
equal capacity for better things."

"Yes, ma'am. So I allow; and I had the