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"Nice place," he murmured, looking about with more approbation than he would have granted the clearing some ten minutes earlier. "Yes," answered Ricky. "It would be nice to live here." Val was beginning to say something about "no bathtubs" when a sound aroused them from their lethargy. Someone was coming down the path. Ricky's hand fell upon her brother's shoulder. "Quick!
Again a dark archway tempted them on, and the third room into which they came had a more grim reminder of the scarlet past of the house. For Ricky stumbled over something which clinked dully. And when Val used the flash they looked down upon a telltale length of chain ending in an iron ring, its other end soldered into the wall. "Val," Ricky's voice quavered, "did did they keep people here?"
It was moored by two thick ropes to a sunken post, and already the mooring was dragging the bow down. Val headed in toward it, running the outboard between the stranger and the landing. Out of the blackness ashore a shadow arose and waved at him frenziedly. Then he saw Ricky's white face above her long oil-silk cape.
If she says that we are going to play badminton well, we are going to play badminton." "I think that you might help too." Ricky attacked a fresh pod viciously as their cousin came up on the terrace. He stopped for a moment by Ricky's chair, long enough to gather the pods together on the paper she had put down for them, piling them up in a more orderly fashion than she was capable of.
And a while back my maid Rose left because she saw something in the garden one night." "Jeems, probably," the boy commented. "He seems to like the place." "No, not Jeems. He was sitting right on that railing when we both heard Rose scream." "Val, the handkerchief!" Ricky's hand arose to her buttoned pocket. "Then there was someone inside the house that night.
In answer to Ricky's question of how he felt, he muttered something in the swamp French of the Cajuns. But he was uneasy until Val locked the cabin door and put the key in his hand. "How are we going to get him to the boat?" asked Ricky suddenly. "Carry him." "But, Val " for the first time she looked at her brother as if she really saw him "Val, you're hurt!"
"Miss 'Chanda!" Sam Two, as they had come to call Sam's eldest son and heir, was standing on the lowest step of the terrace, holding a small covered basket in his hands. "Yes?" "Letty-Lou done say dis am fo' yo'all, Miss 'Chanda." "For me?" Ricky looked at the offering in surprise. "But what in the world Bring it here, Sam." "Yas'm." He laid the basket in Ricky's outstretched hands.
But the harsh tone of his voice struck his brother as dumb as if he had slapped him. "Sorry," Val shaped the words stiffly, "all my fault." "Nothing's your fault," Ricky's indignant answer cut in. "But but just be quiet, Val, until the doctor comes." He turned his head slowly. On the hearth-stone stood Charity talking quietly to Holmes.
The boat rubbed its nose against the mossy bank; Lady Hesketh placed her fair hands in Ricky's chubby ones and sprang to the shore. Where are the others?" Betty and Dorothy looked out from their seat in the tall grass. "Charles brought the hamper; there it is," said Cecil. Barbara Lisle and sentimental little Alixe von Elster strolled up and looked lovingly upon the sandwiches.
With that parting shot he turned and went in. Lucy arrived shortly before noon. She was accompanied by a portion of her large family four, Val counted, including that Sam who had become Ricky's faithful shadow. "What's all dis Ah heah 'bout some mans sayin' he am de Ralestone?" she demanded of Ricky. "De policemans oughta lock him up. Effen he comes botherin' 'roun' heah agin I'll ten' to him!"
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