“And what makes you think some one is hiding there?” asked Mabel. “Because of the way the boys’ things disappeared. Why, listen! Maybe some criminal is hiding in the old mill, and only dares come out at night.” “A criminal-ghost or a ghost-criminal?” asked Marie with a laugh. “Either or both.” “And you want us to spend a night there? Ugh! Excuse me—never!” declared Alice. “I don’t mean stay there all night,” explained Natalie. “We could get the other camping boys—the ones who took us over to the Point last night—to run us to the mill in their launch. Then they could go off and leave us—or stay within call, maybe, and we could search all over the place for the secret room. I’m almost sure we can find it—I’m always lucky that way.” “I wish you’d find mother’s diamond ring then,” said Mabel with a sigh. “Will you come, girls?” persisted Natalie. “We’ll come home before dark; won’t we?” asked Alice. “If you like; but it’s going to be a lovely moonlight night, and it will be grand on the water.” “Why not ask our own boys to take us over?” suggested Mrs. Bonnell. “They wouldn’t,” said Mabel. “I think Nat’s plan is good—but I won’t stay in that spooky place after dark.” “Then we’ll go!” cried Natalie. “Yes,” came in rather indifferent and hesitating accents from the others. CHAPTER XXX THE WEEPING VOICE “Where are you girls going?” It was Jack who demanded this of his sister and the other Camp Fire devotees as they filed past Stony Point a day or so after the fiasco in the old mill. “Evidently they’re going to make a day of it,” observed Blake. “They’ve got their lunch,” and he glanced significantly at several baskets the girls carried. “And their knitting, too,” added Phil. “Thank you. This isn’t knitting,” responded Natalie, as she waved a string of colored beads, woven into a broad band. “These are going to be our—is it totem poles, girls?” and she appealed to the others. “Totem poles!” cried Blake. “Say, you’re not Alaska Indians! Totem poles are those telegraph spiles carved with beasts and birds, and colored like a Chinese rainbow, that you see in the museums! Totem Poles! Oh my!” and he doubled up with mirth. “Well, it’s something on that order, anyhow,” went on Natalie. “These are our head-bands. Mine is almost finished,” and she showed her pretty conventionalized design of a dark-green pine tree on a turquoise-blue background. “Are you going to weave some of those to-day?” asked Phil. “That’s the way with girls. They go off in the woods for a day’s outing, and trot along a book, or some of that filmy lace stuff, and that’s how they enjoy themselves.” “Well, it’s just as much fun for us, as it is for you boys to lie around doing nothing, or cutting fish poles or—or—whatever you do,” said Alice, rather at a loss for comparisons. “But where are you bound for?” persisted Blake. “Oh, off for a day in the woods,” said Mrs. Bonnell, noncommittally.