Carol turned to David for proof, and David smiled a little.

“Well,” he said thoughtfully, “perhaps it does not particularly say the ghosts were drowned.  It says they went into the pigs, and the pigs were drowned.  It does not say anything about the spirits coming out in advance, though.”

Carol and Barrows mutually triumphed over each other, claiming personal vindication.

“Do you believe in ghosts, Mr. Duke?” asked Miss Tucker in a soft respectful voice, as if resolved not to antagonize any chance spirits that might be prowling near.

“Call them psychic phenomena, and I may say that I do,” said David.

“How do you explain it, then?” she persisted.

“I explain it by saying it is a phenomenon which can not be explained,” he evaded cleverly.

“But that doesn’t get us anywhere, does it?” she protested vaguely.  “Does it—­does it explain anything?”

“It does not get us anywhere,” he agreed; “but it gets me out of the difficulty very nicely.”

“I know a good ghost story myself,” said Nevius.  “It is a dandy.  It will make your blood run cold.  Once there was a—­”

“I do not believe in telling ghost stories,” said Miss Landbury.  “There may not be any such thing, and I do not believe there is, but if there should happen to be any, it must annoy them to be talked about.”

“You shouldn’t say you don’t believe in them,” said Miss Tucker.  “At least not on such a dark night.  Some self-respecting ghost may resent it and try to get even with you.”

Miss Landbury swallowed convulsively, and put her arm around Carol’s waist.  The sudden wail of a pack of coyotes wafted in to them, and the girls crouched close together.

“Once there was a man—­”

“It is your play, Mr. Barrows,” said Miss Landbury.  “Let’s finish the game.  I am ahead, you remember.”

“Wait till I finish my story,” said Nevius, grinning wickedly.  “It is too good to miss, about curdling blood, and clammy hands, and—­”

“Mr. Duke, do you think it is religious to talk about ghosts?  Doesn’t it say something in the Bible about avoiding such things, and fighting shy of spirits and soothsayers and things like that?”

“Yes, it does,” agreed Nevius, before David could speak.  “That’s why I want to tell this story.  I think it is my Christian duty.  You will sure fight shy of ghosts after you hear this.  You won’t even have nerve enough to dream about ’em.  Once there was a man—­”

Carol deliberately removed Miss Landbury’s arm from her waist, and climbed up on the bed beside David.  Miss Landbury shuffled as close to the bed as propriety would at all admit, and clutched the blanket with desperate fingers.  Miss Tucker got a firm grip on one of Carol’s hands, and after a hesitating pause, ensconced her elbow snugly against David’s Bible lying on the table.  Gooding said he felt a draft, and sat on the foot of the cot.