"I will soon see if there is." Ralph paused as he spoke. He put his hand to his mouth and gave a ringing call--one he had learnt from the Indians on the plains. "If any one is about, they will hear that; and, at any rate, they cannot say that we are trying to hide from----" He stopped and started back, turning as white as death; for from somewhere, ringing through the silences of that preserve, there came a sound, muffled, but clear. It was Ralph's call repeated! What wonder that he trembled. What wonder that he looked so white. There was but one other person whom he knew who would answer that call in that way; and that one person was his own father! CHAPTER XXIII THE RUIN AND THE LONELY HOUSE Just that one cry, ringing wild and plaintive through the wood; and then silence, broken by a loud, angry rumble of thunder. Ralph stood there trembling, too agitated to speak; and his two chums turned anxiously towards him, bewildered at the change which had come over him. "Ralph, old fellow, why, whatever is it? What has come to you?" they asked; and he replied in hoarse, trembling tones-- "That call! Did you not hear it? There is only one person who would give that, and he is my own father." For a moment they were staggered by his answer; then Warren said gently-- "But, Ralph, how can it be your father? It was only the echo, old fellow." "It was not the echo. It was his voice. Listen--try and hear where it comes from!" And once again, through the dripping wood, he sent the Indian cry. "Now, listen--listen!" he said; and they waited, but no sound came in answer--nothing but the shiver of the trees, the patter of the rain, and the distant growling of the storm. "There, you see. It must have been the echo!" said Warren; but Ralph shook his head. "Do not be silly, Warren. If it was the echo it would be heard again; but we heard nothing." Which direction did it come from? They forgot about the wet and the storm; they forgot everything in the excitement of the moment. Which direction had the cry come from? Warren declared that it sounded as if it was under ground; Charlton said he fancied that it came from high up, as if some one was in the air; and Ralph fancied that it was straight ahead. "What shall we do?" was the question of Warren and Ralph answered-- "I am going forward. I mean to search this plantation from end to end, if I am trespassing twenty times over." So on the three went, and again and again did they pause while Ralph uttered his wild call, but no answer was heard. They pushed on, their hearts full of excitement, until they emerged from the trees with almost startling suddenness. The plantation was nothing like so thick as they had thought--it was a mere belt of wood, surrounding a neglected lawn; and in the centre of this, encircled by a wall, stood the very last thing they would have expected to find there--a house.