"I don't know, I'm sure." "Shall we go back there and see?" "We can't run the car in there." "Why not? We can if they can." "Suppose we should meet them coming out?" "That's right," exclaimed Bob. "I tell you what we can do though. We'll run back down the road and leave the car and then go to the old house on foot." "Good scheme," said Hugh readily. "We can hide the car somewhere I suppose." "Oh, yes. We'll leave it a little way off the road under some trees." A few moments later Bob had turned the car around and they were speeding back in the direction whence they had come. "You know where the road is, don't you?" asked Hugh. "I do," said Bob confidently. "We'll leave the car about a quarter of a mile this side of it and then walk." "I wonder if they could have gone to that old deserted house," mused Hugh. "Maybe. I swear I don't see why though." "We're probably chasing moonbeams," said Hugh. "Perhaps we are, but we're having a lot of fun anyway." "Of course we are," exclaimed Hugh, "and I'm for going ahead." A moment later Bob slowed down the car. A clump of trees appeared alongside the road, and shifting into second speed Bob carefully steered his course toward them. In the shadow of the trees he stopped, shut off the motor, turned off the lights, and stepped out. Hugh got out on the other side. "Here we are," whispered Bob. "I guess it's all right to leave the car here." "I should think so," Hugh agreed. "We're about fifteen yards from the road and I don't believe any one would notice it in here." They started down the road, keeping well to one side, so that they would not show up against the faint white ribbon of the highway as it stretched through the country. After a walk of about five minutes Bob halted. "There's the road," he whispered, pointing ahead. "Come on then," urged Hugh. "Carefully now." It was a weird sensation to be stealing along in the darkness, and the hearts of both boys were pounding. They turned from the main road and started down the narrow wagon track through the woods. It was much darker there and difficult to pick one's path. A dry twig snapped under Hugh's foot and the boys stopped short, their breath coming fast. The hoot of an owl directly overhead startled them violently and unconsciously they clutched each other's arm. The giant trees loomed black and forbidding in the darkness, and it was easy to imagine all kinds of things lurking behind to spring out at them. "I don't like this," whispered Hugh. "How far is it from here?" "Just a short distance. I don't like it either." Presently Bob tugged at Hugh's sleeve. "There's a light," he said softly. A faint glimmer appeared through the darkness ahead. Presently the boys were able to see that it came from a lantern held by some man standing in the open doorway of the old house. A moment later four others appeared from within and came out to the tumble-down porch. Bob and Hugh looked on with bated breath. What could it all mean?