The boys ran helter-skelter across the vast courtyard to where the opening was. They were half-afraid that the trap-door would close before they got there. But it didn’t.
The four boys stood by the lift-opening and looked down. The lift-shaft ran straight down below their feet, cut out of solid rock. The golden cage was not to be seen, of course. The opening looked dark and narrow as it disappeared into the darkness of the heart of the mountain.
“I don’t see how we could escape down there,” said Mike. “We would need a tremendous long rope to begin with — which we haven’t got — and also, just suppose the lift came up as we went down!”
“That golden cage was pulled up and down by ropes, wasn’t it?” said Mrs. Arnold. “Well, surely those must still be running down one side of the opening.”
“Of course they must,” said Captain Arnold. “We’ll look for those.”
But the ropes that sent the lift up and down had been cut! Captain Arnold found them easily enough, running in a cleverly cut groove at one side of the lift-opening. But when he pulled at them they came up in his hand, not more than ten feet long! Somehow they had been cut and were of no use at all!
“We may as well shut the trap-door,” said Captain Arnold, in disgust and disappointment. “It is dangerous to leave it open in case one of you goes and tumbles down the hole. Well — we really are in a fix now!”
“How all the Mountain Folk must be laughing at us!” said Mike. “We are nicely caught! Can’t get down, and can’t get up — here we are stuck on the top of a mountain for the rest of our lives!”
Captain Arnold did not like the look of things at all. He was afraid that the Folk of the Secret Mountain would open the sliding door and spring on them during the night. But he said this only to Mrs. Arnold, for he did not want to frighten the children.
“Well, we’ve all had a great deal of excitement today,” he said. “Let’s go into the cool temple, have a good meal, and a rest.”