“Is that what he said?” asked Grandpa Ford.

“Yes.  When he was awakened by Mun’s falling out of bed the first thing he called to me was that the ghost had got Mun.  I don’t understand where the children heard anything about such a thing.”

“Nor I,” said Daddy Bunker.

“We mustn’t let them get the idea that anything is wrong here at Great Hedge,” went on Grandpa Ford.  “It might frighten them, though, of course, it is nothing like a ghost.  I can’t imagine where they got the idea, but we must not speak of it again in front of them.

“I do wish we could find out what it is that makes such a queer noise.  Your mother and I,” he said to Daddy Bunker, “have heard it many times, and now, the first night you are here, it sounds again.”

“But only once,” said Mr. Bunker, “and that may have been the wind, as we said it was.”

“No, it wasn’t the wind,” declared Grandpa Ford.  “For I have heard the same moaning sound when there was hardly any wind.  The wind has died down now.  It is quieter.  I think the storm has stopped, or soon will.”

He went to the window to look out, and, as he did so, there sounded through the house a deep, dull groan.  It seemed to fill many rooms, and for a moment Daddy and Mother Bunker and Grandpa and Grandma Ford looked at one another.  Then they listened to see if any of the children were awake.  But upstairs all was quiet.

“There it goes again,” said Grandpa Ford.

“I heard it,” answered Daddy Bunker.  “I wonder what it could have been?”

“The wind,” said Mrs. Bunker in a low voice.

“But the wind has stopped blowing,” remarked Grandma Ford.

“Oh, well, we’ll find out what it is soon,” said Daddy Bunker.  “Don’t let it worry you.  We came here, Mother dear, to help you hunt for the queer noise, and that’s what we’ll do.”

The grown folks listened, but the noise did not sound again, and then, as it was getting late, they all went to bed.  Nothing disturbed them until morning.

“Hurray!  It’s stopped snowing!” cried Russ as he ran to the window and looked out.  “Now we can make a snow man.”

“And a snow fort!” added Laddie.

“And slide downhill, I hope,” said Rose.  “I wonder if Grandpa Ford has any sleds we can take?”

“He said there were some,” declared Vi.  “I asked him last night.  And there are skates, too.  I asked him that.”

One might depend on Vi to ask the questions.

“Then we’ll have lots of fun!” said Russ.  “Come on, now, we’ll get our breakfast and then we can go out and have fun.”

“I want to go out and see where the horses slept,” remarked Mun Bun.  “Did any of them fall out of bed, I wonder?”

“No,” said Grandma Ford with a laugh.  “Horses have beds that are right on the floor.  They are made of straw, and the horses can’t fall out.  But you shall see for yourself.  Come, now, while the cakes are hot.  And we have maple syrup to eat on them.”