Dinner ended amid a squabble about who would dry and who would wash. The mothers won. The kids dried and put away. The fish, compliments of Heddy and Andy, were delicious, pan fried and smothered in butter and herbs, and Adrian had proved an expert at filleting. Gene and Ken had called to say hello, apologizing that their business would keep them in town for another couple of days, and patiently, each listened to three versions of the fishing adventure.

By the time the children headed up to bed, Karen and Adrian were exhausted from the marathon game of monopoly in which Pauline finally bankrupted all her competition. They flopped on the porch with their coffee and both hung their feet on the railing, sighing and moaning deliciously as at last they enjoyed relaxing peacefully.

"Do you think Andy is enjoying himself?"

"Having to play with girls, you mean?"

"Yeah, you know what little girls can be like."

"He's fine. If they don't get along, Andy's very good on his own, but they seem to be doing okay."

"Well if they happen to get into any trouble, don't be quick to blame Andy, the girls have proven quite a handful in the past."

Adrian turned her head and gazed at Karen, "Gene mentioned something about a train trip that was quite exciting."

"More than you could possibly know." Karen sipped her coffee, feeling Adrian's gaze, and she turned to face her. "If you don't think it would upset you I could tell you about it."

Adrian snorted good naturedly, "If it does I'll let you know. I have a few of my own that could curl your hair."

They laughed together as Karen settled down to tell about the girl's train trip.

"This is boring, I'm not even tired." Heddy complained, plumping her pillow and sitting up in bed.

"Let's do something then." Andy whispered from across the room.

"What?"

"I don't know... let's sneak out and go for a walk in the dark."

"I don't like the dark." Heddy answered.

"Let's sneak down and spy on our mothers," Pauline suggested, pleased to find she wasn't the only one still awake and bored, "I'll bet they're talking about us."

"Yeah! Great idea," Andy agreed excitedly, "we can go out the back and crawl under the porch."

"Eeeww! Not me. There're all kinds of bugs and things under there." Heddy shuddered.

"Oh don't be such a sissy. C'mon, we'll get dressed, the bugs won't bother you." Andy jumped out of bed and began pulling on his jeans and shoes.

The two girls stared embarrassedly, not wanting to get dressed with a boy in the room.

"You wait for us in the hall," Pauline said prudishly.

"What a pair," Andy chuckled, slipping on his t-shirt and tiptoeing to the door.

The night air was moist and heavy. Mosquitoes buzzed around the trio as they slipped quietly out the back door and around to the side of the lodge. The forest night sounds seemed more distinct and creepy; dark shadows from the towering trees lay across the ground like dark pools. They paused at the corner of the porch, straining to hear the murmurs coming from their parents.

"It's all blocked off," Andy whispered, "we can't get underneath."

"Good," Heddy said, relieved.

"We can crawl around to the front," Pauline said. "Just keep down and stay quiet."

Like three awkward caterpillars, the children squirmed around to the front of the porch on their stomachs, stopping every few feet to listen carefully.

"That's an amazing story Karen, you must have been out of your mind with worry."

"It still gives me the creeps when I think about it. When I think of how it might have turned out..."

"God, I'd have been a mental wreck. I mean, a bomb on the train... God."

"They're talking about our train trip," Heddy whispered.

"Shhh!" Pauline put her hand on her sister's mouth.

"Did you hear something?" Karen sat forward in her chair.

"Only the blood pounding in my head, "Adrian chuckled, "I'm gonna get some more coffee. Want a refill?"

"Thanks." Adrian took the mugs and went inside.

The silence bore down on the conspirators, barely permitting a breath, as they lay dead still, unable to move. They heard the screen door open again, and a flicker of yellow light danced on the ground in front of the porch, freezing the children in panic.

"I thought I'd bring the lantern out, maybe it'll keep some of the bugs busy so we can enjoy our coffee... and one of these."

"A cigarette? You smoke?"

"Only when Gene's not around, and then only when I'm enjoying some quiet time. Like now. Want one?"

"No thanks. I quit a long time ago." She winked and gave Adrian a sly smile.

The children wriggled their way back to the corner of the porch, watching the blue smoke swirl in the lantern's glow.

"That was too close!"

"Shhh!"

Karen spoke up again, asking if Adrian heard another noise, and the children scurried back around the lodge out of sight.

"Well that was exciting," Andy said sarcastically, picking up a twig and twisting it in his fingers.

"We'd better go back inside before they decide to check on us."

"What's that?" Heddy said, distracted by a faint glow deep among the pine trees.

"What?"

"Over there. It looks like a light."

"Let's check it out." Andy said, regaining his excitement.

"It's too dark," Heddy shuddered.

"What a couple of chickens. Well I'm gonna see what it is."

"We'll come too," Pauline said, hushing Heddy's objection, "just wait here a minute. I'll be right back."

When she returned, her eyes were shining with mischievous excitement, and she said she was ready.

"What did you do?"

"I fixed our beds up so that it looks like we're sleeping."

Andy gave her an appraising smile, and patted her on the back. "Smart thinking."

"We've had our share of adventures," she smiled back, winking at Heddy, "let's go."

The small cabin sat in a shallow depression behind a clump of silver birches; a well-worn path twisted around scrub and rocks to the solid wooden front door. The glow that Heddy had noticed came from a small window beside the door, and as they watched from behind a huge boulder, a shadow moved back and forth in its ghostly light.

"This must be old man Gallow's place." Andy said.

"It's not very nice considering the size of the lodge."

"Creepy guys stay in creepy places." Andy observed, sticking his head up for a better look.

"I wonder what he does in there all by himself." Pauline whispered.

"You wanna know? I'll go take a peek."

"Don't! He'll see us or hear us." Heddy grabbed his arm.

"C'mon Squirt, we've come this far." Andy sneaked from around the rock and crept toward the cabin.

Squirt? He called me Squirt? Heddy watched with narrowed eyes.

Andy sneaked very slowly up to the window, raising his eyes just above the frame. Inside, pacing back and forth, a bottle dangling from his hand, Ithmus looked angry and terrified. He stopped in the middle of the room and tilted the bottle to his mouth, gulping greedily, then wiping his face with the back of his rough hand.

Suddenly his head snapped toward the door, and his eyes grew wide. Andy ducked quickly, he'd heard something too; a low wailing gasp, coming from the trees off to his left. He heard scuffling steps inside the cabin as Ithmus headed for the door, and Andy scurried quickly back to the rock.

"Did you hear that?"

"Yes! It was just like the sound we heard at the marsh." Heddy and Pauline were holding one another and jumping around nervously.

The door of the cabin opened, and Ithmus stepped outside, framed in the doorway by the lantern light, a large rifle in his hands. The wail came again, and the children gaped at one another then bolted down the path. Behind them, they could hear Ithmus yelling something and they thought he was after them, spurring them into a reckless plunge through the dense woods.

Pauline slowed, looking behind her. "Heddy! Heddy, hurry up. Where is she?"

Andy came back and grabbed her arm, pulling frantically. "She's ahead of us, down there."

They both watched as Heddy ploughed through the bushes, legs pumping in a blur, heading for the back of the lodge.