A human enemy, a foe he could see, Frank would have faced with iron
nerve; but this strange wailing noise coming from what quarter of
the compass he could not judge--was so uncanny that he was really
disturbed. He bounded into the chassis and roused Ben and Harry.
He had hardly whispered to them the extraordinary intelligence when
again the voice arose.
"A-ho-ho-h-o-o-o-A-h-hoo-ho-AH-HO-HO-O-O-O-AH-ho-h-o-o-o-o-o-o!"
"Well, who?" roared Ben angrily, "come out and show yourself, you
human hyena, and I'll put so much lead in your system you'll be
worth a nickel a pound. Come, you old Ah-Hoo, and I'll show you who
I am quick enough--shiver my topsails!"
But the only reply to Ben's tirade was the dismal echo of his voice
among the rocky chasms.
"Shiver my topsails!" roared the echo and then the hills bandied the
cry about from ridge to ridge till it died out in a whisper:
"My topsails!"
"Hum," remarked Ben, "I don't think I'll talk so loud around here.
There seem to be a lot of folks listening. Such a dreary hole as
this I never--"
"Never," sighed the echoes, "--never."
"Here, I can't stand this," cried Harry. "I'm going to send a
bullet up there the next time that fellow starts 'Ah-hooing."'
But as the strange mournful cry rang out once more the boys paused
in bewilderment.
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