“Monkey,” said Arthur, “you’ve put us all under heavy obligations by what you did, and for one I’m not going to forget it, or twit you about the funny noises you manage to coax out of that bone goose-call you made.  The end justifies the means, is what I say every time.  Now, what’s next on the programme, Hugh?”

“Well, since we’ve met the enemy and won the fight,” laughed the other, “I should say our best move would be to occupy the abandoned works.  Monkey can lead us to where he managed to get into the castle.”

“As easy as falling off a log,” asserted the other, proudly, as became the principal actor in the late little “unpleasantness.”

“Besides,” added Alec, impatiently, “we want to take a few pictures inside and out of the old shebang while the sun still hangs high.”

“What’s the hurry?” asked Billy, who liked to put off things to a more convenient season whenever he could find half of an excuse; “plenty of time to do all that to-morrow, I should think.”

“‘Strike while the iron is hot,’ has always been my motto,” asserted Alec, when, in truth, it was mostly his impatience that hastened his actions.  “How do we know what sort of a day to-morrow may turn out to be?  Suppose a storm came along, how could I get a good picture of the castle to send my aunt so as to pay for the elegant camera she gave me?”

“Guess you’re right there, Alec,” admitted Billy, always ready to own up when he felt that the argument was going against him.  “Besides, it needs plenty of light to get views inside the house, when the windows are as small and measly as they seem to be here.”

“Oh! as for that,” declared the other, airily, “leave it to me.  I’ve been smart enough to fetch along an entire outfit for taking flashlight pictures; so you see we can get all we want after night comes.”

“You’ve certainly got a level head on your shoulders, Alec,” ventured Arthur, giving the other a slap on the back that was intended for commendation, though it made the recipient jump, for he had not been expecting anything of the sort, and possibly there was that about the air of that haunted mansion which caused all of them to be a bit more nervous than usual.

Monkey Stallings led them around to one side of the rambling building.  As they went, they were loud in their expressions of amazement and even delight, for really, it was an impressive sight to the eyes of American lads not accustomed to crumbling ruins of old-time castles, where doughty knights of the Middle Ages may have fought in tournament with lance and sword.

“Wait up a bit, please, fellows!” suddenly exclaimed Alec.  “I couldn’t find a better view of the castle than right here, with that sun blazing along the walls, the turrets and that magnificent donjon tower.  I want every one of you to be in the picture at that, so place yourselves as I tell you.”

Alec was something of a photographer, and had many good views in a book at home.  He fully expected to do wonderful things with this expensive outfit, since the lens alone cost three times as much as his other camera complete.