“She’s fainted!” he exclaimed. “I’ll carry her up to the tent,” and he took her out on shore and hurried toward the canvas shelter. CHAPTER XXVII AWAITING THE GHOST “Wasn’t it silly of me to go off that way?” “Do you feel all right now?” “Let her smell of the ammonia again.” “No, thank you, Marie. It’s too strong. The salts are better,” spoke Natalie protestingly. She was sitting up on a cot in the tent, while the boys clustered at the flap outside, and the girls and Mrs. Bonnell gathered around her. The first aid work had ended successfully when Natalie opened her eyes after her swoon. “I don’t understand how I fainted,” she said feebly. “I never did such a thing before.” “It was the pain,” said Mabel. “Blake carried you in splendidly, though.” “Oh, did he _carry_ me?” and a dull red suffused the olive-like tint of Natalie’s cheeks. “Of course!” exclaimed Mrs. Bonnell. “Why not? It was the most sensible thing to do under the circumstances. How is the ankle?” “It pains considerably.” “We must try hot and cold compresses. Marie, put the kettle on the oil stove at once. Boys, you clear out of here. We can look after her now—much obliged to you though. You might bring a couple of pails of water, if you don’t mind, before you go.” “Here’s your hat—what’s your hurry,” murmured Phil half sarcastically. “After all we did—to be thrown out this way!” wailed Jack. “And we haven’t heard what happened!” added Blake. “Let Nat tell us the story of her life, and then we’ll go.” “There isn’t really much to tell,” she answered. “I got a sudden notion in my head that I wanted to go to the old mill. I thought I would have time to row over and back before supper. So I just slipped away in the small canoe, and got to the place all right.” “Weren’t you afraid?” asked Mabel. “What of?” “The ghost!” “There wasn’t any when I was there,” went on pretty breath-of-the-pine-tree, as she leaned back on some pillows Mabel had put on the cot for her. “I just thought I’d look around and see if I could discover what it was that looked like a face at the window that day I saw it. I started up the rickety old stairs, and I turned on my ankle and slipped down. “Oh, dear! but it hurt. I tried to get up and I couldn’t and I didn’t know how long I’d have to stay there. I called for help, but the place was deserted since the old hermit moved out. Oh, I didn’t know what to do.” “And weren’t you afraid—horribly afraid?” asked Marie. “Not first along, I wasn’t. I didn’t imagine what could harm me. But I was afraid lest I should have to stay there all night. I knew I could never stand that.” “Did you hear any—ghostly noises?” asked Mabel, and involuntarily she looked over her shoulder. “Not at first,” answered Natalie, and there was an obvious reluctance in her manner. “Then you _did_ hear something!” exclaimed Jack, who was watching her closely.