Nikka propped a chair against the mantle-piece, and climbed on to the shelf. The panel had been sawed through on both sides and part of the bottom.
"Go ahead," said Hugh. "It's ruined anyway. But I swear I don't see how there can be an opening in back there that wouldn't sound hollow when you rap over it."
While I held the light on the panel Nikka sawed away, and in fifteen minutes he had it detached from its beveled frame.
"Come up here, Hugh, and help me with it," he said, as he withdrew the saw, and Hugh climbed to his side.
They found a thin chisel in the burglar's kit, and with this Hugh gently pried the panel loose.
"It has a stone backing," cried Nikka disappointedly, as it came away.
In fact, we all experienced a profound feeling of disillusionment when Watkins received the panel in his arms, and the empty area of stonework was revealed, about four feet long and three feet high.
"Too bad," said Hugh, jumping down. "Especially as we could have gotten a body through an opening that size."
There came a yell of triumph from Nikka, and Watkins, whose eyes had been straining at the opening, shouted:
"There is something there, your ludship!"