The Go Ahead Boys and the Mysterious Old House   By: Ross Kay

E text prepared by Roger Frank, Juliet Sutherland, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net)

THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND THE MYSTERIOUS OLD HOUSE

by

ROSS KAY

Author of "The Search for the Spy," "The Air Scout," "Dodging the North Sea Mines," "With Joffre on the Battle Line," "The Go Ahead Boys on Smugglers' Island," "The Go Ahead Boys and the Treasure Cave," etc., etc.

Copyright, 1916, by Barse & Hopkins

PREFACE

In almost every rural community in the older parts of our country there is a house which some of the country folk have believed to be "haunted." As a rule this house is old and perhaps has fallen into partial decay. The children passing on the country road move to the opposite side when they draw near the building. Stories are current of scenes which have been witnessed and sounds heard in the vacant dwelling. Perhaps even the older people have not altogether outgrown their feeling of timidity when they are near it. How baseless all such stories are and how easily most of the unusual sights and sounds can be accounted for is of course clearly understood. In this story I have tried to interest my young readers in the attempts of four normal, go ahead boys to solve the mysteries connected with a venerable house near the home of one of them, which was shunned by many of the simple country people. I have endeavored to avoid all sensationalism and yet to interest the boys and girls in a stirring story of the experiences of my heroes. I am not without hope that the final solution of the mystery of the old Meeker House may help my young readers a little more courageously to face other problems, perhaps equally mysterious or perplexing, which may be presented to them in other forms. At all events I sincerely hope that the spirit and determination of the Go Ahead Boys will remain in their minds after the story itself shall have long been forgotten.

Ross Kay

CONTENTS · CHAPTER I THE OLD MEEKER HOUSE · CHAPTER II COWBOYS AND SKINNERS · CHAPTER III INTO THE HAUNTED HOUSE · CHAPTER IV FLIGHT · CHAPTER V A SURPRISE · CHAPTER VI A PRISONER · CHAPTER VII AN ESCAPE · CHAPTER VIII THE LOST CAR · CHAPTER IX ANOTHER FLIGHT · CHAPTER X THE CAPTURE IN THE PASS · CHAPTER XI THE SEARCH FOR THE MISSING CAR · CHAPTER XII A HASTY DEPARTURE · CHAPTER XIII WORD CONCERNING THE LOST CAR · CHAPTER XIV DISAPPOINTED · CHAPTER XV A FAMOUS SPOT · CHAPTER XVI ANOTHER LOSS · CHAPTER XVII LEFT BEHIND · CHAPTER XVIII THE ARRIVAL · CHAPTER XIX AN INVITATION · CHAPTER XX THE FATHER OF HIS COUNTRY · CHAPTER XXI AN EXPLANATION IN PART · CHAPTER XXII A DARE · CHAPTER XXIII LED BY A MAN · CHAPTER XXIV THE END OF THE HOUSE · CHAPTER XXV A TALK WITH THE TRAMP · CHAPTER XXVI CONCLUSION

THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND THE MYSTERIOUS OLD HOUSE

CHAPTER I THE OLD MEEKER HOUSE

"Do you see that house?"

"You mean that low, old house on the corner of the road?"

"Yes."

"What of it?"

"Well, that's one of the oldest houses in this part of the country."

"It looks the part. How old is it?"

"It's at least one hundred and seventy five years old."

"It's old enough to look better, then. Is that one of the houses that Washington slept in?"

"I guess so."

"It must be, from the stories you have told me since I have been here. How old was Washington, anyway, when he died?"

"He was in his sixty eighth year."

"I think there's some mistake about that."

"No, sir. Those are the correct figures. He was born in 1732 and he died in 1799."

"I'm not going to dispute you, George. I'll take your word for it, but it always seemed to me that Washington's age must have been a good deal greater than the histories say it was."

"Why?"