Part 31 (2/2)
”It's getting cold in here,” remarked Bart. ”I'm going to crawl in the bunk. These overalls are rather thin.”
He got into one of the narrow beds and the others followed his example.
The light from the lamp in the other room illuminated the apartment dimly. The boys talked the situation over from all sides coming to no conclusion.
”But what are we going to do?” asked Ned.
”Let's wait until morning,” suggested Bart. ”We'll be rested then, and can think better. We'll have a look around the place and maybe we can make a break.”
”Let's make a break when they open the door to give us breakfast,”
suggested Ned.
”That might be a good plan,” came from Bart. ”The morning will do. We can't accomplish anything to-night, so there's no use fretting.”
In spite of their unpleasant position the boys finally fell asleep and slumbered soundly. Bart was the first to awaken and he hardly knew where he was. A glance around soon brought to his mind what had happened. He hurried into the other room. As he reached it he gave a cry that brought his companions in on the run.
”What is it?” asked Ned.
Bart pointed to the table. The dishes had all been removed while they slept and the lamp was gone. A dim light came in through the ventilators.
”They were here in the night!” cried Bart.
”What's queer about that?” asked Frank.
”This,” spoke Bart. ”They didn't come in through the door, as the chairs are in front of it just as we left them, and the door opens inwardly.”
”Well?” asked Fenn.
”They didn't come in through the window, for there isn't any.”
”How did they get in then?” asked Fenn.
”There must be some secret way that we don't know about. We must find it. That's how we can escape.”
”Perhaps it's around the ventilators,” suggested Frank.
”We'll take a look,” spoke Bart.
They soon found that the one in the bunk room would not admit the body of a child, to say nothing to that of a man. The one in the room where they had eaten was similar. As Bart, standing on the table, was examining it closely, he motioned to his companions to make no noise.
CHAPTER XXVII
THE ESCAPE
”What is it?” asked Ned in a whisper.
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