Ames snorted. “That’s a laugh!”
Chuckling, Tom hung up. The boys dashed out to the parking lot and climbed into Bud’s convertible. He sped off with a spurt of gravel.
When they turned into River Road, Bud manipulated his spotlight to pick out the house numbers. The homes in this area were all old mansions with spacious grounds.
Presently Bud saw the number 104 on a brick fence pillar. He swung up the drive.
The glare of the headlights revealed a huge, Victorian-era frame house, shuttered and silent. Bud stopped the car and they got out.
“Looks empty from here,” Bud murmured.
“It is empty-there’s a ‘for sale’ sign,” Tom pointed out.
The grounds were wooded with eerie-looking pines and hemlocks, and the tall grass was thickly overgrown with weeds. Tom shone his pocket flashlight as they began prowling about, searching for signs of their mysterious informant.
Bud chuckled nervously. “Maybe the whole thing was just a-”
He broke off and both boys stiffened with sudden shock. A weird, long-necked monster, resembling a miniature brontosaurus, came stalking out of the trees straight toward them!
CHAPTER XII
CHOW’S SKYWAY MISHAP
“J-J-JUMPIN’ jets!” Bud’s voice came out in a hoarse whisper. “Do you see what I see?”
“I see it, all right,” Tom replied, “but I don’t believe it!”
The boys’ eyes bulged at the fantastic sight. The creature was too far away in the darkness to be clearly revealed by Tom’s small beam, but they could see its neck weaving from side to side as it advanced. An eerie screech from the monster sent chills racing down their spines.