Chapter XXVI: A Story of Interest

The cadets listened with much interest to what Bert Field had to say. Here indeed was a mystery—yet more of a mystery was to follow.

“I won’t go into all the details of the case,” went on the strange youth, “for it would take too long. As I said, Jabez Trask sent me to boarding school. He also went into court and had himself appointed my guardian. My folks left a little money and this he handled to suit himself.”

“I believe he is equal to it—he looked like a miser,” was Pepper’s comment.

“In a roundabout way I heard about the Robertson mill and the Robertson fortune. My mother and the Robertsons were related and I heard that when William Robertson died he had expected to leave his property to my mother’s side of the family and not to the Trask side. I wrote to Jabez Trask about this and he came to see me. He was furious and said the fortune belonged to him. He admitted that William Robertson’s will was missing. Nobody knew what had become of the paper.”

“This sounds like a story book,” said Dale, as Bert Field paused.

“Perhaps, but I am telling you only facts. Well, time slipped by and I was treated worse and worse at the boarding school. Then, one day I got a letter from an old woman who had once been a servant in the Robertson family. She said she was dying, but before she died she wished to tell me something. She said she was sure that William Robertson had made a will leaving his property to my mother and her heirs. She said she thought he had gone to the old mill with it, and that maybe the will was hidden in the mill. She added that Jabez Trask knew about this will and was looking for it and probably wanted to destroy it, so that he could keep possession of the Robertson fortune. That letter set me to thinking, and one day I up and ran away from the school.”

“To find the will, I suppose,” said Andy.

“Yes. But first I had to locate the old mill—and also locate Jabez Trask, who had moved, as I told you. You must remember that I was a stranger in this part of the country and had never known much about the Robertsons or the old mill. When I found the old mill I learned that it had the reputation of being haunted.”

“I believe I begin to see the truth!” cried the young major.

“What do you think?” asked Bert Field.

“Jabez Trask makes folks believe the old mill is haunted so that they will keep away. He is afraid that if folks visit the mill they may, accidentally or otherwise, find the missing will.”

“That’s it exactly—or at least, that is how I figure it out,” answered the strange youth.

“Do you think Trask plays ghost?” asked Pepper. “If he does, I’d like to go there and catch him at it.”

“He either does it himself or has somebody do it for him,” answered Bert Field. “You must remember that he is a very queer man,—very suspicious as well as miserly.”

“Have you been to his mansion, or to the old mill yet?” questioned Pepper.

“Yes, I was near the mansion several times, once during that thunderstorm, when I saw two of you, and I have been around the old mill. I tried to enter it once, when it was dark, but was warned away by a ghostlike figure. I wasn’t much alarmed by the ghost, but when the figure threatened to shoot me I walked away.”

“That proves that the so-called ghost is nothing but a man,” was Andy’s comment. “Well, I was sure of that before,” he added.

“When you saw me with the rope I had a new scheme I was going to try to carry out,” continued Bert Field. “I have been watching the streams around here and I came to the conclusion that the one flowing along where I met you ran under the old mill. I got the long rope and was going to let myself down in that opening and see if I couldn’t follow the stream backward to the place. By doing that—if it could be done—I thought I might be able to get into the old mill without Mr. Ghost knowing anything about it. Then, if I did get into the mill, I was going to watch my chance and hunt for that missing will. The old woman wrote to me that William Robertson was a great man for hiding valuable things under the floor. Maybe that will is under some flooring in the old mill.”

“Perhaps you can get into the mill by that stream,” said Andy. “But I advise you not to attempt it. Pepper and I came through that way and were nearly drowned.”

Then Andy and Pepper related the particulars of what had occurred to them during the game of hare and hounds. Bert Field’s manner showed that he was keenly interested.

“It fits in!” he cried. “Whoever is at the mill is doing his best to keep all other folks away.”

“Do you know what I think we ought to do?” said Jack. “We ought to march on the old mill in a body and demand admittance. They can’t play off that game of ghost on a big crowd.”

“That’s the talk!” exclaimed Pepper. “Why, we can organize a regular company for that purpose and go there with our rifles! I think Captain Putnam would let us do it.”

“That might work, if it wasn’t for one thing,” answered Bert Field. “Jabez Trask may get so alarmed that he may burn the old mill down—and then the will would be burnt up too. Even as it is, I am afraid every day that he will set the place on fire.”

“Yes, that is true,” answered Dale. “And I suppose all you care about is that will.”

“Exactly. The old mill is of no account whatever.”

“Well, we are willing to help you all we can,” said Pepper, after a pause. “I said I’d do that before.”

“Then you don’t think I can get into the mill by way of that stream?”

“Hardly. I’d not risk it. I think, if I were you, and you wish to get into the mill on the sly, I’d wait for a dark night and then crawl up very cautiously.”

“But the traps? You fell into one, and there may be others even more dangerous.”

“I’ve got a plan!” cried Andy. “I am sure it will work, too.”

“What is that?” asked Bert Field with interest.

“When we were near the old mill I noticed that on the upper side were several very large trees. One of these trees had its branches hanging directly over the roof of the main building. Back of that tree were other trees, stretching down into the woods. Now, why couldn’t some of us climb into the trees and work our way along from one limb to another until we reached the tree near the roof? Then we could get on the roof and from there into one of the upper windows of the mill. I don’t believe that way is guarded, and if we worked quietly and in the dark I think we would give whoever is in the mill a complete surprise.”

“Say, that’s a great scheme!” cried Pepper. “Let us try it.”

“I’m willing!” said Jack.

“So am I,” added Dale. And then all of the cadets looked at Bert Field.

“Aren’t any of you fellows afraid of the ghost?” asked the strange lad.

“No!” was the prompt reply.

“We don’t believe in ghosts,” added the young major. “But we realize that there may be great danger in visiting the old mill—the visit of Andy and Pepper proves it.”

“And you all want to go with me?”

“Yes,—if you’ll take us,” was the chorus.

“It is very kind of you,” said Bert Field, with a little catch in his voice. “Say, do you know, you’re the only ones who have been friendly to me since I ran away from school? Most folks think me a suspicious character and an odd one. Once I stopped at a farmhouse, wanting to buy my dinner, and the woman set her dog at me!”

“Well, maybe they have seen you skulking around the Trask mansion and in this vicinity and didn’t know what to make of it,” answered Jack kindly.

“Maybe.” Bert Field paused. “I must say I like that idea of getting into the old mill by way of the roof,” he went on. “And if you want to aid me, why come ahead. How soon will you be ready to tackle the job?”

“Let us make it to-morrow night,” said Jack. “We can all get away then. Shall we keep it a secret?”

“Sure,” answered Pepper. He saw that Bert Field was not one to court publicity.

“When and where will you meet me?” asked the strange boy.

The matter was discussed for a few minutes, and then it was decided that the crowd should meet where they were then standing, at exactly eleven o’clock the following night. The cadets were to procure pistols and thus arm themselves, and Bert Field said he would also bring a weapon and likewise a rope for possible use in climbing. This settled upon, the cadets and their new friend separated, and the former hurried back to camp, leaving the strange lad to go his own way.