Aftertheboyshadtakenhismeasure，theyconcludedthathe’dalreadytackledsomuchinthewayofdifficultiesthataghostmoreorlesswouldn’tbeofmuchaccount。Sotheysenthimtothehauntedcabin。Hehadabigyellowdogwithhim，aboutasuglyandassavageashimself；andtheboyssorto’congratulatedthemselves，fromapracticalview-point，thatwhiletheyweregivingtheoldruffianashelter，theywerehelpinginthecauseofChristianityagainstghostsandgoblins。Theyhadlittlefaithintheoldman，butwenttheirwholepileonthatdog。That’swheretheyweremistaken。
\"Thehousestoodalmostthreehundredfeetfromthenearestcave，andondarknights，beinginahollow，wasaslonelyasifithadbeenonthetopofShasta。Ifyoueversawthespotwhentherewasjustmoonenoughtobringoutthelittlesurroundingclumpsofchapparaluntiltheylookedlikecrouchingfigures，andmakethebitsofbrokenquartzglistenlikeskulls，you’dbegintounderstandhowbigacontractthatmanandthatyellowdogundertook。
\"Theywentintopossessionthatafternoon，andoldHardTimessetouttocookhissupper。Whenitwasoverhesatdownbytheembersandlithispipe，theyellowdoglyingathisfeet。Suddenly’Rap！
rap！’comesfromthedoor。’Comein，’saystheman，gruffly。
’Rap！’again。’Comeinandbed——dtoyou，’saystheman，whohasnoideaofgettinguptoopenthedoor。Butnooneresponded，andthenextmomentsmashgoestheonlysoundpaneintheonlywindow。