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“That’s a great idea, George,” she said. “We can start inquiring tomorrow.”
    After this, Cecily acted more like her animated self and conversation was lively and cheerful on the way home.
    As they were about to unlock the door to the cottage, Bess, who was facing the lake, gave a scream. “Listen! Look!”
    The others turned in her direction. They could hear a ship’s bell ringing! Up at the misty end of the lake, the girls were startled to see an old-time excursion launch, brightly lighted. It moved slowly, as if against a buffeting wind.
    Passengers, dressed in clothes of the early 1900’s, walked about freely. They were talking and laughing.
    “The phantom ship!” Cecily said in a hushed voice.
    The girls’ hearts began to beat faster. Could they believe their eyes? Was the story true? But where did the ghost ship come from?
    Bess stuttered nervously, “I—I h-hope it doesn’t come down here!”
    Suddenly from the phantom craft came a scream of terror. The launch began to list. The next second all the lights went out and the boat vanished!

CHAPTER VII
    The Bull’s-Eye Window
    BESS shrieked as the phantom launch disappeared underwater. “I’ve—I’ve never believed in ghosts,” she said shakily, “but now I’m afraid I do!”
    George looked at her scornfully. “Ghosts, nothing! There must be some logical explanation.”
    Cecily had little to say except that she was mighty glad the girls were with her. “I would have been terrified staying here alone!” she added. “I don’t blame Henry Winch a bit for wanting to move.”
    Nancy suggested they go to bed early. “I don’t believe the ghost ship will bother us,” she said reassuringly.
    The young sleuth did not say anything to the others but determined to get up early and investigate the far end of the lake to see if she could pick up any dues to the weird apparition. She awoke at daylight, dressed quickly, and slipped out of the cottage. Nancy followed the path along the water, and crossed the beach below the lodge. Then she set off through the woods. As she reached the area of fog, Nancy saw a swampy stretch before her.
    “It won’t hurt me to slosh through,” she said to herself gamely. Holding her shoes, she waded in. “Why, the water’s warm!” Her theory that there were probably hot springs in that section of the lake had proved to be correct.
    The swamp was about three hundred feet long. It was more treacherous than Nancy had bargained for and she found herself floundering and slipping until she was soaking wet. The girl detective smiled.
    “This is a crazy procedure,” she told herself. “I haven’t picked up one single clue, and what a mess I am!”
    Nevertheless, Nancy pushed on and after a while reached dry land. The trees were thick here, but just beyond them was a large, relatively cleared area, with scrubby bushes and tall grass as well as a few saplings.
    In the center of the clearing stood the tumble-down remains of an old-fashioned bandstand. Nancy examined the platform and the storage area underneath, but found nothing to suggest an answer to the phantom ship.
    Disappointed, she turned back and reached the cottage just as the other girls were getting up. They stared at her.
    Nancy grinned. “Yes, I know I’m a sight. But it was all in the cause of trying to solve the mystery of that phantom ship. However, I learned absolutely nothing.” She added laughingly, “It must rise out of the water, after all.”
    The others knew she was teasing and were sorry she had found no explanation. Cecily remarked, “I’ll never feel completely safe here until that mystery is cleared up. Nancy, do you have some theory about it?”
    The girl detective shrugged. “I’ve been wondering about those people at Pudding Stone Lodge. This ghost-ship business started after they moved there.”
    “You mean they could be connected in some way with the mirage or whatever it is?” asked George.
    Nancy looked thoughtful. “It’s a