Part 22 (1/2)
There was no reply.
”Lung! Speak! Where are you hit?” persisted Harry.
Still no answer.
The banging kept right up.
”He is dead,” thought Young King Brady. ”Merciful heavens! What about Alice's fate in the hands of that yellow fiend?”
Just then came a crash. Hurrying footsteps were heard overhead.
”Why there is n.o.body here, Leggett!” Old King Brady's voice exclaimed.
”Upon my word!” thought Harry. ”And just in the nick of time!
”Governor! Oh, Governor!” he shouted.
”Harry, my dear boy, where are you?” cried Old King Brady, for like Harry and Ah Lung, he and the Secret Service man had penetrated into a seemingly vacant room.
”I fancy I am in the room below you!” replied Harry. ”So? Who fired those shots? You?”
”No, that yellow fiend, Garshaski!”
”As I supposed. You are not hurt, I judge from the way you speak.”
”I am not, Governor, but poor Ah Lung who is here with me got it in the neck and I greatly fear he is dead.”
”Well, well, that's a bad job. Do you know anything of Alice?”
”Only that Garshaski said she is far enough away if you can believe him, which is more than I can. Can't you come down here?”
”I must try to get there. Are you locked in?”
”Bolted in, most securely.”
”There seems to be but one door here; I daresay there is another, a secret door. But I am going to take the back track and try it another way.”
”I don't care what way you try it as long as you get here. I'm in a bad enough fix. I have no doubt Ah Lung is dead.”
All this talk took place in the dark.
Harry was so rattled that he did not turn on his flash light. He never even thought of it until now, and he flashed it on Ah Lung.
Evidently the Chinaman had been hit in the head for his face was all covered with blood.
He was breathing, however. There seemed to be some slight hope.
Meanwhile Old King Brady, who had broken the door down after several attempts, returned to the semi-circular hall outside.
”This is a great piece of business, Leggett!” he exclaimed. ”We must make haste and get Harry out.”