The Go Ahead Boys and the Mysterious Old House Part 25

In spite of their recently expressed courage both boys stopped as if by common consent. As they did so the sound of voices, speaking in whispers, was heard from other parts of the house. No person, however, was visible and in the dim light that penetrated the room neither of the boys was able to see any object distinctly.

Meanwhile the flapping of the unseen wings continued. Suddenly there was a flash of light that was almost blinding. It was so unexpected that both boys together and almost instantly turned toward the door. A cloud of smoke swept through the room and both boys, coughing and choking, instantly turned and fled from the house. Their speed increased as there came sounds of loud laughter from within the ancient dwelling. Unmindful of their promise not to run, both boys instantly turned and quickly were making most excellent time across the field in the direction of the automobile, which still could be seen in the open road.

CHAPTER XX-THE FATHER OF HIS COUNTRY

When John and Grant climbed into their seats in the waiting automobile both were nearly breathless. Before either of them spoke there came another loud burst of laughter from the house of mystery, and a moment later Fred and George were seen approaching. Both were running but neither apparently had been as greatly alarmed by the occurrences in the old Meeker House as had their two friends.

"I thought you fellows were not going to run," said Fred as he seated himself.

"We thought the place was being bombarded," explained John. "I noticed that you didn't stay very long either."

"We had to come out and find what had made you fellows run so fast,"

said George.

"That's all right," said John. "I'm willing to go back there now if you are."

Fred hesitated a moment, but as George had now seated himself and the car was under motion and there was slight prospect of turning back, in his boldest tones he said, "I'm perfectly willing to go back. I wasn't scared to-night anyway."

"Come on, then," said John, rising as he spoke.

George, however, ignored the conversation and increasing the speed at which the car was moving soon left the corner far behind him.

When the Go Ahead boys arrived at the farmhouse neither John nor Grant had much to say concerning their recent experience. The blinding flash which they described had been seen also by their companions, but both George and Fred declared that they had not been frightened by the unexpected occurrence.

There was no possibility of denying the fact that John and Grant had fled much more precipitately than had their companions, although there had been no great difference in the time of their return to the waiting automobile.

For some reason conversation flagged and not many references were made to the mysteries of the old Meeker House which still were unexplained.

"To-morrow morning," said George, "you understand that we are to go to Morristown. Are we all going?"

"We are," replied his friends together.

"I didn't know but John would like to stay behind and make some further investigations," laughed George.

"No, sir. I'm not going to be left this time," explained John. "I want to see Morristown. I have heard so much about the place that I want to see it for myself."

"It's well worth seeing," said George.

The following morning directly after breakfast, the Go Ahead boys were speeding swiftly toward the beautiful Jersey town which was to be their destination. The ride across the rolling country, with its frequent streams and hills and villages, was most attractive. Many beautiful homes, erected by the people of the great city beyond the borders of the state, added much to the beauty of the scenery.

However, the enthusiasm of the boys reached its highest point when at last they arrived at Morristown. The combination of age with the best that the thought of modern times could accomplish in the architecture of the houses was most impressive. Beautiful homes, many of which had extensive lawns and shade trees and the many evidences of thrift and prosperity to be seen on every side, were most attractive.

The first duty of the boys, however, was to visit the garage to which they had been directed by George's father. Here, however, again their efforts proved unavailing. The missing car was not found. An automobile of the same make and concerning which there was some question of owners.h.i.+p was still in the garage, but the Go Ahead boys speedily decided that they had no claim to its possession.

"I don't believe we'll ever find the car," said Fred despondently when the boys departed from the garage.

"I guess you have forgotten our name," suggested John. "We are the Go Ahead boys, not the Give Up boys."

"That's all right," spoke up George, "but just now I am going to show you some of the sights of this old historic town."

"Did Was.h.i.+ngton sleep here?" inquired Fred demurely.

"He lived here for a while," explained George, "but the British tried to find out whether he was asleep or not. They never found him asleep."

"Still I suppose he did sleep sometimes."

"When was he here?" inquired John.

"Why, don't you know the history of your own country?" spoke up Fred.

"Was.h.i.+ngton came here after the battle of Princeton. That winter was a hard one for the little colonial army. People have talked about Valley Forge just as if there wasn't as much suffering at Morristown. I don't know why it is that people start on one line and then forget there are any others."

"He was here twice," explained Grant. "That winter of '77 and '78 and then too in the winter of '78 and '79."

"Yes," said George. "The house which is called Was.h.i.+ngton's Headquarters is where he lived during his second winter. I'm going to take you first," he added, "out to Was.h.i.+ngton Valley. That's where the most of the soldiers camped."

In a brief time the Go Ahead boys gained the summit of the hill from which they were able to look down upon the marvelously beautiful valley before them. It was like a great bowl among the hills. The rich and cultivated fields and beautiful homes on the hillsides and the nature of the place itself combined to make a most beautiful as well as interesting picture.

"It looks almost as if it was built for an army to hide in," said Grant.

"They were pretty well protected here," explained George. "You see, the hills were as good as forts. Now we'll go back to Was.h.i.+ngton's headquarters," he added, as he turned around and started once more back toward Morristown.

Not far from the public square the boys found the famous building. Built of brick and covered with boards and s.h.i.+ngles, its sides painted white, it produced not merely an impression of age, but also of freshness as well.

"Then this is where the father of his country stayed, is it?" said Fred.

"Just look at this picture," he added as he pointed toward the house and then turned around to George and said, "then look at this. We have fallen from that to this, Was.h.i.+ngton was the father of his country and G. Was.h.i.+ngton Sanders is just 'Pop'."

"That's all right," replied George, joining in the laugh of his friends.

"I'll admit that Pop isn't the biggest word in the language any more than Pyg is."

"Quit this," demanded Grant. "We're going into the old house and you will have to behave yourselves."

The visit proved to be most interesting. Many articles that had been used when Was.h.i.+ngton was living in the house and many more which had been contributed were on exhibition. Indeed, as the boys pa.s.sed from room to room they became more subdued in their manner, for somehow the knowledge that they were looking upon the same sights that had greeted the great commander had produced a marked effect. Even the old cannon on the lawn and the piles of cannon b.a.l.l.s had stories of their own.

The silence, however, was broken when the boys resumed their seats in the automobile.

"I wonder why Was.h.i.+ngton stayed so far away from his army," suggested John.

"He had a body guard here all the time," explained Grant. "There were about two hundred and fifty men stationed here. They used to call them the life guard."

"What did they do?" inquired Fred.

"It was a special guard to protect General Was.h.i.+ngton. You see the red coats and Hessians, as I told you, tried a good many times to catch Was.h.i.+ngton asleep. Sometimes they crossed over from Staten Island and came up through Springfield, trying to catch the 'old fox' off his guard. But the people all through the country knew just what to do. They had guns or little cannon mounted on several of the hills and whenever word came that the redcoats were coming the boys fired one cannon and that would be heard by other people and the guns on the other hills would be fired too so that the soldiers at Morristown knew long before the British could arrive that they were trying to advance."

"But they never got him," said Fred gleefully.