The Boy Scouts with the Motion Picture Players

ring of the boy as he crouched there on the floor of the room a

came again, a peculiar whimpering that would have given Billy a spasm of

wed his hand to grope around for something he wanted, and which he rem

t wrapped in darkness. Still, when tiny tongues of flame played at hide-and-seek a

lated at that. In fact, Hugh had made himself a trifling-present lately of a small vestpocket edition of a flashlight, controlled by a batte

ng himself resolutely, even while he crept out from among the folds of the warm blanket endeared to h

le like Randall's Folly, after midnight, trying to discover the origin of strange sounds, was no business of theirs, and would h

eep with him was entirely out of the question so long as that

d many a strong man would have declined committing

ugh refused to believe in spook manifestations. At the same time he admitted that his heart was fluttering at a much more rap

urging through the boy's excited mind, they would p

ne way or the other. A queer kind of a hobgoblin that must be to keep whimpering like a baby, and then fluttering to

n. More than that, he had even gone to the trouble to fill the keyhole full of crumpled paper, remembering that jib

ion. He did not anticipate finding a chance to make use of it, but when a man insures his house agains

forms of his four comrades swathed in their coverings. Not one of them moved, even in the slightest

oftly opened the massive door, slipped boldly through th

ad been decorated after the usual custom of feudal times. Hugh could easily imagine shining suits of armor standing grimly in, the corners, like sentries on guard. He had detected marks on the walls betraying the fact that at some ti

e sounds again. They wer

"whatever makes that noise it comes from up above. And th

commenced mounting, step after step. Always the sounds seemed to grow a little clearer, and this fact

h intervals unless he had received his clue again. Not once did he manifest any weakness in the line of shrugging his shoulders, and saying

y the thing through to the end. He would despise himself if

t while they had investigated more or less of the big building, they were forced to skip several portions, leaving them

, "the thing making all that noise is in there

nge whimpering Hugh had his hand on the door knob. He quickly

llow connected with obscure, shadowy figures stared at him. The

aughed

away must have been some ugly bats in the bargain, that haven't gone into winter quarters yet. Well, this is a pretty good sell, I must say. I'm glad I made up my mind to find out what that noise

arters if they wanted to. There was plenty of room in that great castle for h

pward. The tension and strain had been removed from his boyish heart, and he was ready to confess th

room in which the others were sleeping. While fastening the door again Hu

nd watching him curiously. Hugh held up a warning finger. He did not want Alec to talk out loud and needlessly awaken al

ht those awful ghoulish sounds somewhere. Wanted to creep after you, but say, I own up I didn't have the nerve to try it. So here I've been sit

uckled

ese premises, and hates to be evicted in case y

ike that, when I'm dying to know what could make

ugh. "They've taken up their quarters in one of the turret chambers

spot that you just had to find out what it meant? It's like you to do such a thing! But, H

r his blanket again, "but all of you seemed to be sound asleep, and I hated

let me tell you I draw the line at creeping upstairs in this spooky old castle, and investigating such a fierce

ered the folds of his covering about him, much as a soldier of olden times might wrap h

ng as though som

in a hurry. I honestly believe, Hugh, this lonely old curiosity of a castle is going to please my queer relative a whole lot. The chances are she'll plank down the money to buy Randa