Part 15 (1/2)

If this latter supposition were correct, then, thought Jack, it behooved hilers returned and found they had escaped from the cell, there would be only one conclusion to draw as to their ht one

Bending down, he saw at once in the brighttrapdoor under his feet A ringbolt at one edge showed hoas raised Seizing it in a firrip, Jack started to raise the trap

His heart beat suffocatingly What would he find underneath?

An inch at a time Jack raised the trap, while the others knelt at the sides, peering through the growing opening Only darkness aze, and the smell of hot air imprisoned in a closed house caes, apparently long unused and rusted, creaked alarly despite all the care Jack exercised

But not a sound cath Jack threw back the door, and the brightin a flood of silver revealed a narrow, ladder-like stairway descending to an uncarpeted hall Jack started doith the others at his heels

In the hall he paused, to once more accustom his eyes to the dimness which noever, was not iht Presently he was able tothe double expanse of wall One door, on the right, was e iron bar in a socket

”That's the door to the cell they had us in,” said Frank, with conviction, as they stood grouped before it ”Brrr We'd have had a fine chance to break that down”

Leading the way and walking on the balls of his feet, shoes in hand, Jack moved forward to the other door and had just laid his hand on the knob and was about to turn it, when he heard voices on the other side and the sound of footsteps -fast in this crisis It was the door of a stairway leading to the lower part of the house So it, not one man but several They could have only one purpose There was only one room up here on this upper floor--the cell Therefore, whoever was co they still were in that rooh Jack's mind in less time than it took a ht of a plan Turning to his coet back to the cupola stairs, Frank, because you're nearest

Then run up and lower the trapdoor, and crouch outside until I call you The rest of us can crouch down in this little space beyond the door, and we'll be hidden by it when the door swings open”

Frank was off on noiseless feet, while the other four huddled into the space indicated by Jack By the ti the door inward, Frank had succeeded in gaining the cupola The noise es, as the trap was lowered was covered up by the voices of the men

Fortunately, they did not close the stair door, but left it standing open, thus hiding the four behind it There were three in the party, judging by the sound of voices and footsteps, and one at least carried a powerful electric flashlight

”Thought I heard a scratching sound,” said a voice, which Jack and Bob recognized as that of Higginbothauess it was made by mice

This old house is filled with the the party paused, and Jack, looking froures, shadowy and indistinct, before the huge door of the cell, upon which oneat the bar The door swung open, and the three walked in

”Co for the others, realizing it would be only a moment or two before their disappearance fro, tore down the little hall like a ind, dashed against the great door and swung it into place Bob, as close at his heels, dropped the iron bar into place

They were not a moment too soon Shouts of amazeing shut And hardly had Bob dropped the bar into the socket than those within threw the was the latter, however, that with its closing all sound fro to move it, as well attempt to push an elephant over by hand This those within must have realized, for presently they desisted

”Got 'e froht, he reassured hi the stairway thunal to Frank The latter at once raised the door

”Come on down, Frank,” said Jack ”There were three of them, and we penned them in the cell”

Hastily he explained what had occurred

”Now, fellows,” said he ”Let's see who else is downstairs Let's see if we can't get out of here, so we can radio Lieutenant Su these chaps behind, Jack?” protested Bob ”They can get out the saive the alar Lieutenant Suet an inkling of what's hanging over theinbotham and his companions escape, he'll start a search for us, and our plans will stand a fair chance of being spoiled”

”You're right, Bob,” said Jack ”But what can we do? They can't get out of there in a minute It will take them some ti in wait for the fast Captain Folso to the older ht to do?”

But the latter laid his sound arm on Jack's shoulder