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 could through the fast-gathering darkness enshrouding the mysterious orchard. The cool wind whipped back their hair, and their feet stumbled on the uneven ground. Loose stones tripped them, and smashed apples made slippery spots that once caused Sim almost to fall. But she quickly recovered herself, ran on, and passed her chums.

As the three neared the dormitory building, the grounds about it were deserted, 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 with unspoken loyalty. They must keep the secret of the orchard to themselves. It was their secret. None of the other girls, for the time, must know anything about the mystery tangled in those gnarled trees and in the smoky ivy vines that hung from some branches like tangled snakes. Even the tall and almost impenetrable hedge that, in one corner, formed a terrifying tunnel before it opened into the wide aisles of trees took on a sinister shape and seemed to add to the mystery as the girls thought of it while standing in the gleam of lights from the dormitory building.

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

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

It was finally accomplished, somehow. Silently they reclined in their favorite relaxed positions. No sound, except a clock-like puffing, disturbed the stillness. The room was almost dark, only a little gleam filtering in from the hall through a transom. No one made a move to turn on 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'll never forget how that poor young fellow looked! I only wish that old man hadn't chased us away. Perhaps we could have found out what Tom meant by that 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 on something important! You remember what Henry, our dear old chaplain, was muttering about the day we passed him. Something about coming out of the orchard 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 dark leafiness." 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 merely queer 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 they had 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 the apples we sent you to get! Well, you'd better get them tonight. It would be 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 office without permission." It was a theatrical finish.

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

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

"No flashlights!" mocked Pip. "The poor dears! Then they'll have to go in the 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, and not because I like you, I'll let you take my large flashlight. But don't forget! 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 that orchard when it's so dark!"

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

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

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

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

Terry was elected to get the light from Jessica while her chums waited in no little trepidation in the main corridor below, near a rear door out of which they had been told they might slip without being observed by those in 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 not going," Sim answered.

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

They went out. The night was clear and beginning to get chilly. Sim knotted her bright scarf more tightly about her throat. Terry turned up the collar of her jacket, and Arden snuggled more closely into her long sweater.

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

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

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

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

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

"Come on, girls! We're just at the first row of trees. The one we are looking for is farther along. I remember a funny-shaped one, like a rearing crocodile, next to it. But wait, Terry! I heard something moving!" 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 to do. Let's get going!"

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

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

"Cheer up, old gal! I think this is the tree. That looks like a pretty good specimen." Terry was examining an apple in the light of Terry's torch. "Pick them up quickly. If they turn out not to be good, we'll blame it on the darkness. Hold the bag, Arden. It was very smart of you to 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 Arden suddenly 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," declared Terry, taking charge of the situation. "If we hurry we can be out of here in another minute."

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

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

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

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

Some strange force seemed to fling her aside, her skirt being caught and twisted around her legs, twirling her like a human top. She tried to retain her balance but toppled over and fell heavily in a pile of leaves and 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 the elusive light switch. "Oh, Arden! Whatever--was it?"

"It--it just missed me!" panted Arden, struggling to her feet. "But whatever it was, it certainly tried to get me! Oh, for mercy's sake, take those 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 was nearly 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 the uncertain way, and Arden almost in hysterical tears, ran out of the perilous 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 little Sim!