Gary and Mike, eleven and eight, were boys, of course, and Ginger, ten, was a tomboy. Sharing plans and secrets, the three friends were inseparable. One day on their way home from school while they were crossing a weed-grown lot, as usual, a familiar landmark—a fallen tree—suddenly appeared in a new light to them. They decided that, with a few judicious alterations, it could be transformed into a wonderful make-believe sailing ship. Full of ideas, they swarmed over their new find, but all the time they were aware of the quiet Victorian house nearby, with its empty windows watching them. Everyone knew that an old recluse lived there, but no one knew anything about him. How they came to meet the owner of the house (they called him "Captain Ghost" among themselves), learned how to build and man a ship, met a sinister stranger, and finally solved an old mystery makes exciting reading. (From the dust jacket inside flap.)