Part 76 (1/2)
”We kin git out that way,” she said.
The boys wondered why they had not discovered the door when they examined the place, but there was no time for investigation.
Kate Kenyon flitted lightly toward the opening. Pausing beside it, she pointed downward, saying:
”Go ahead; I'll foller and close ther door.”
The boys did not hesitate, for they placed perfect confidence in the girl now. Barney dropped down in advance, and his feet found some rude stone steps. In a moment he had disappeared, and then Frank followed.
As lightly as a fairy, Kate Kenyon dropped through the opening, closing the door behind her.
The boys found themselves in absolute darkness, in some sort of a narrow, underground place, and there they paused, awaiting their guide.
She came in a moment. Her hand touched Frank as she slipped past, and he caught the perfume of wild flowers. To him she was like a beautiful wild flower growing in a wilderness of weeds. The touch of their hands was electric.
”Come.”
The boys heard the word, and they moved slowly forward through the darkness, now and then feeling dank walls on either hand.
For a considerable distance they went on in this way, and then the pa.s.sage seemed to widen out, and they felt that they had entered a cave.
”Keep close ter me,” directed the girl.
”Here, give me your hands. Now you-uns can't git astray.”
At last a strange smell came to their nostrils, seemingly on the wings of a light breath of air.
”What is that?” asked Frank.
”Ther mill whar ther moons.h.i.+ne is made.”
”Oh!”
Now the boys recognized the smell.
Still she led them on through the darkness. Never for a moment did she hesitate; she seemed to have the eyes of an owl.
All at once they heard the sound of gently running water.
”Is there a stream near?” asked Frank.
”Lost Creek runs through har,” answered the girl.
”Lost Creek? Why, we are still underground.”
”An' Lost Creek runs underground. Have ye fergot that?”
So the mysterious stream flowed through this cavern, and the cave was near one of the illicit distilleries.