The Orchard Secret

  CHAPTER VII Terror in the Dark

  Scarcely realizing how they had changed their fright into action, Arden,Terry, and Sim found themselves running away as quickly as they couldthrough the fast-gathering darkness enshrouding the mysterious orchard.The cool wind whipped back their hair, and their feet stumbled on theuneven ground. Loose stones tripped them, and smashed apples madeslippery spots that once caused Sim almost to fall. But she quicklyrecovered herself, ran on, and passed her chums.

  As the three neared the dormitory building, the grounds about it weredeserted, as this was the before-supper lull.

  "I hope no one saw that mad rush!" panted Arden.

  "What are we going to do?" asked Terry as they slowed to a walk.

  "Say nothing--for a while, at least," advised Arden.

  "Right!" agreed Sim.

  To this course of action, or, rather, lack of action, each agreed withunspoken loyalty. They must keep the secret of the orchard to themselves.It was their secret. None of the other girls, for the time, must knowanything about the mystery tangled in those gnarled trees and in thesmoky ivy vines that hung from some branches like tangled snakes. Eventhe tall and almost impenetrable hedge that, in one corner, formed aterrifying tunnel before it opened into the wide aisles of trees took ona sinister shape and seemed to add to the mystery as the girls thought ofit while standing in the gleam of lights from the dormitory building.

  They were safe now. They need run no longer. They could stop and lettheir panting breaths ease. They must go inside. Oh, to be able to sitdown and calmly consider what had happened.

  But the five flights of stairs between them and their room! How couldthey be climbed? The same thought was in the minds of each one. To getsafely inside their room and throw themselves down upon the beds untilhearts beat a little less poundingly.

  It was finally accomplished, somehow. Silently they reclined in theirfavorite relaxed positions. No sound, except a clock-like puffing,disturbed the stillness. The room was almost dark, only a little gleamfiltering in from the hall through a transom. No one made a move to turnon a light. Just to rest, for the moment, was enough.

  Gradually they grew calmer. Arden sat up.

  "What an adventure!" she exclaimed. "But do you know what we did?"

  "What?" murmured Terry.

  "We left the precious apples."

  "For all I care they can stay there!" Sim had lost all interest. "I'llnever forget how that poor young fellow looked! I only wish that old manhadn't chased us away. Perhaps we could have found out what Tom meant bythat black thing he talked about."

  "I'd never have the courage to try!" murmured Terry.

  "Do you know, girls," burst out Arden, "I think we've stumbled onsomething important! You remember what Henry, our dear old chaplain, wasmuttering about the day we passed him. Something about coming out of theorchard and some sort of a promise. And the old taxi-man, too, warned us,in a way. Certainly that orchard holds a real mystery in its darkleafiness." Arden smiled a little smugly. A sort of cat and canary smile,as Sim remarked when she got up off the bed to switch on a light.

  She and Terry both were very thoughtful after what Arden had said.Perhaps Arden was right. There was certainly something more than merelyqueer about the orchard, it was getting weird and uncanny.

  "Do you think those sophs could have known?" asked Terry.

  "I don't," was Sim's opinion. "They'd never have sent us there if theyhad known what was going to happen."

  "I wouldn't be so sure of that," spoke Arden. "Those sophs----"

  "Hark!" from Sim.

  Footsteps in the corridor outside.

  A knock on the door.

  A little scream from Terry, a quickly hushed scream, however.

  The door was opened suddenly. It was Toots Everett and her two familiars.

  "Where are the apples, freshies?" Toots demanded.

  "We haven't got them," Terry stated simply. "We--ah--we--dropped them."

  "Oh, you did! And you look at us and calmly tell us you haven't theapples we sent you to get! Well, you'd better get them tonight. It wouldbe just too bad if the dean had to campus you in your first week here."Toots paused ominously and resumed. "For going over to the post officewithout permission." It was a theatrical finish.

  "Get those apples for us tonight!" commanded Jessica. "Slip out the backdoor about eight o'clock and you'll manage it all right. None of theteachers will notice you then. Of course, you'll have sense enough totake flashlights."

  "We haven't any yet," said Sim lamely. "We haven't been to town, youknow." She and her two chums were wondering how the sophomore knew aboutthe post office visit. Had the chaplain told them?

  "No flashlights!" mocked Pip. "The poor dears! Then they'll have to go inthe dark."

  "Oh, no!" Terry cried out with a dramatic restraining gesture.

  "Little freshie 'fraid-cats!" sneered Toots.

  "Well," remarked Jessica, "purely out of the goodness of my heart, andnot because I like you, I'll let you take my large flashlight. But don'tforget! We expect those apples before 'lights-out' tonight!"

  With mocking smiles, the sophs withdrew to their room below.

  "Oh, dear!" wailed Sim. "More trouble! I don't want to go back to thatorchard when it's so dark!"

  "I do and I don't," said Arden. "I want to find out something, but I'm alittle scared."

  "If we all keep together and have a light, it shouldn't take us long. Ithink I can find the tree we were near when--when----" Terry didn't quiteknow how to finish.

  Clang-clang! Clang! Clang-clang! It was the bell calling the students tosupper: always a light meal. The "big feed," as the girls called it, camein the middle of the day.

  Wearily the three arose from the beds whereon they had again castthemselves after the visits of the sophomores, straightened themselveswith pulls and twists, and joined their classmates in the dining hall.Their coming hazing task was uppermost in their minds, consequently theydid not feel like talking much.

  Terry was elected to get the light from Jessica while her chums waited inno little trepidation in the main corridor below, near a rear door out ofwhich they had been told they might slip without being observed by thosein authority.

  "Did you get it?" whispered Sim, as Terry came lightly down the stairs.

  "Sure! Did you think I wouldn't?"

  "I was hoping you might not, and then we'd have a good excuse for notgoing," Sim answered.

  "Well, let's get started," suggested Arden.

  They went out. The night was clear and beginning to get chilly. Simknotted her bright scarf more tightly about her throat. Terry turned upthe collar of her jacket, and Arden snuggled more closely into her longsweater.

  At first, after walking away from the rim of light that filtered from thedormitory building, they could see nothing. But gradually their eyesbecame accustomed to the darkness and, without switching on theflashlight, they headed for Bordmust Hall.

  For a few of their hesitant steps no one spoke. Then Terry turned on theflashlight, focusing its beams upon the ground while they walked slowlyalong in triangular formation, Sim and Arden forming the base as Terrywith the light was the apex.

  Nothing disturbed them. All was quiet and still and so absolutely silentthat Terry remarked it was the "perfect state of nothingness."

  The dark orchard seemed miles away. But as they paused for Arden to tieher shoe, a faint rustling could be heard. Tired old apple trees wereonce more settling down for the long winter sleep after a summer of fruitproducing.

  All at once they were there! Right in the orchard. The stones on theground seemed to hold back their unwilling feet. They stopped andlistened. Terry switched on the light but its penetrating beam seemedonly to make the surrounding darkness blacker.

  "Come on, girls! We're just at the first row of trees. The one we arelooking for is farther along. I remember a funny-shaped one, like arearing crocodile, next to it. But wait, Terry! I heard somet
hingmoving!" Arden froze into motionless silence to listen.

  "Don't let your imagination run away with you," Terry gently mocked."We're just wasting time by listening, and I've got a lot of French todo. Let's get going!"

  Sim and Terry walked on. Terry, having seen that the way, for some littledistance ahead, was clear, turned off the flashlight. They did not wantto attract any possible attention. Arden was following a little moreslowly. They were beneath some gnarled trees now.

  "Flash a gleam, Terry," begged Sim. In the glow they looked at theleaf-strewn ground. "There's not a single apple here! I don't see how wefound any this afternoon!" said Sim gloomily.

  "Cheer up, old gal! I think this is the tree. That looks like a prettygood specimen." Terry was examining an apple in the light of Terry'storch. "Pick them up quickly. If they turn out not to be good, we'llblame it on the darkness. Hold the bag, Arden. It was very smart of youto bring it."

  Quickly the two dropped apples into the paper bag held open by Arden.They were making what they thought was a good collection when Ardensuddenly stopped them as she murmured:

  "Listen! Did you hear that? Sounded like someone sneezing!"

  They stood motionless and quiet in the frightening darkness.

  "I heard--something," Sim whispered.

  "Well, whatever it was, it couldn't have been very close," declaredTerry, taking charge of the situation. "If we hurry we can be out of herein another minute."

  With renewed energy they fell to their task once more. Arden discoveredSim's pile of apples from the afternoon gathering and was putting theminto the bag; they could not return to those sophs without filling theirorders.

  Suddenly the night's silence was broken by a loud noise: a sound betweena sneeze and a snort, as the girls afterward described it.

  Then something like a black shadow tore past the frightened trio, movingwith great speed and thudding feet, if that tearing scramble could havebeen made by feet. In her excitement Terry switched off the light. Thedarkness was at once made more dark.

  "Oh! Help! Help! It's--got me!" screamed Arden, in a voice filled withterror.

  Some strange force seemed to fling her aside, her skirt being caught andtwisted around her legs, twirling her like a human top. She tried toretain her balance but toppled over and fell heavily in a pile of leavesand apples, too frightened to know where she was.

  "Arden!" cried Sim. "What happened? Where are you?"

  "Are you hurt?" demanded Terry trying in vain to get her fingers on theelusive light switch. "Oh, Arden! Whatever--was it?"

  "It--it just missed me!" panted Arden, struggling to her feet. "Butwhatever it was, it certainly tried to get me! Oh, for mercy's sake, takethose apples and let's get out of here!"

  "Show a light, Terry!" begged Sim. "Where are the apples?"

  "I--I dropped the bag when that terrible thing rushed past me and wasnearly entangled in my skirt," Arden confessed. "Oh, this is awful!"

  "Those sophs!" muttered Sim, "and these unlucky apples!"

  "Beasts!" snapped Terry, who at last had the torch glowing again.

  Then, never daring to look behind them, the three frightened freshmen,with Sim carrying the bag of apples, Terry focusing the torch on theuncertain way, and Arden almost in hysterical tears, ran out of theperilous orchard. This surely had been a terrifying encounter.

  "But remember again," breathed Sim when she felt strong enough to do so,"the apples are for--the sophs, but the--mystery--is ours!" Good littleSim!