Bobbsey.
Indeed it was very quiet.
"Hark!" suddenly called Nan. "Isn't that a noise?"
They all listened sharply, and then they did hear a faint sort of
crying, or whining, noise.
"Oh!" exclaimed Freddie. "It's a---"
"It's the boat pulling on one of the anchor ropes," said Mr. Bobbsey,
for the Bluebird was anchored out in the lake by two anchors and
ropes, one at each end. "The wind blows the boat a little," the
children's father explained, "and that makes it pull on the ropes,
which creak on the wooden posts with a crying noise."
"I know!" exclaimed Flossie. "Just like our swing rope creaks, when
it's going slow."
"Exactly," said her mother. Mrs. Bobbsey was glad that the little girl
could think out an explanation for herself that way.
"There it goes again!" suddenly exclaimed Bert.
They all heard the funny noise. There was no doubt but that it was the
creaking of the rope by which the boat was tied.
"Here, Dinah!" called Mr. Bobbsey, with a laugh. "Come down here.
We've found your ghost."
"I doan't want to see it!" exclaimed the colored cook, "Jest toss it
overbo'd!"
"It's nothing but a noise made by a creaking rope," said Nan. "And you
can't throw that overboard."
"All right, honey lamb. Yo' can call it a rope-noise ef yo' all
laiks," said Dinah, when finally she had been induced to come down.
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