“Certainly this was a fine mansion in its day,” said Dick, as he threw the rays of the lantern around.  “But it is utterly worthless now,” he added as he gazed at the fallen ceilings and rotted woodwork.

“I fancy the ghosts are nothing but rats and bats,” said Tom.  “Come on,” he continued.  “It’s damp enough to give one the rheumatism.”

From the parlor they passed to a sitting-room.  Here there was a huge open fireplace, filled with ashes and cobwebs.  As they entered the room they heard a rushing noise in the chimney.

“What’s that?” cried Stanley anxiously.

“Birds,” answered Dick.  “I suppose they have made their home in the chimney, since it is not used for fires.”

In a corner of the sitting-room was an old table, and on it several musty books.  The boys looked the books over, but found little to interest them.  As relics the volumes were of no value.

“Come on to the dining-room,” said Tom.  “Maybe we’ll find something good to eat.”

“Ugh!  I don’t want anything here,” answered Stanley with a shudder.

“Wouldn’t you like a piece of ghost pie, or some specter doughnuts?” went on Tom, who was bound to have his fun.

“Nothing, thank you, Tom.”

The dining-room of the house was in a wing, and to get to it they had to pass through a pair of folding doors which were all but closed.  As they did so all heard a peculiar rustling sound, but from whence it came they could not tell.

“What was that?” asked Sam.

“I don’t know,” answered his oldest brother.

“Say, this room looks as if it had been used lately,” cried Tom, as the rays of the lantern illuminated the apartment.  “Why, it’s quite homelike!”

“Maybe some tramps have had their headquarters here,” said Dick.  “It would be just like them to single out a spot like this.”

“Yes, provided they weren’t afraid of ghosts,” came from Stanley.

“Tramps aren’t usually afraid of anything but work,” answered Tom dryly.  “But this is queer, isn’t it?” he added, as he picked up an empty cigar box.  “Somebody must smoke good cigars—­these were imported.”

“Here is an empty liquor flask,” said Stanley.

“And here are some empty wine bottles,” added Sam.

“And here are some decks of playing-cards,” put in Dick.  “Yes, some persons have certainly used this as a hangout.”

“What is this in the fireplace?” asked Tom as he pointed to something smoking there.

“It certainly has a vile smell!” exclaimed Stanley, making a wry face.

“That shows somebody has been here recently,” was Dick’s comment.  “We had better be on guard if they are tramps.”

“I can’t stand that smell,” said Tom.  “I am going to get out.”

The stuff in the fireplace, whatever it was, now burned up more brightly.  It gave off a peculiar vapor that made the boys dizzy.

Tom turned to a door that led to the kitchen of the house.  The door was shut, and he tried in vain to open it.  The others were behind him and they, too, tried to open the barrier.