Next, Flossie cuddled up in Mrs. Manily's arms and stopped thinking for a while.
"It is awfully lonely," whispered Nan, to her mother, "I do wish that man would come back."
"So do I," agreed the mother. "This is not a very comfortable hotel, especially as we are all tired out from a day's journey."
"What was that?" asked Bert, as a strange sound, like a howl, was heard.
"A dog," lightly answered the father.
"I don't think so," said Bert. "Listen!"
"Oh!" cried Flossie, starting up and clinging closer to Mrs. Manily, "I'm just scared to death!"
"Dinah, I want to go home," cried Freddie. "Take me right straight home."
"Hush, children, you are safe," insisted their mother. "The stage driver will be back in a few minutes."
"But what is that funny noise?" asked Freddie. "It ain't no cow, nor no dog."
The queer "Whoo-oo-oo" came louder each time. It went up, and down like a scale, and "left a hole in the air," Bert declared.
