“We’d better go back,” whispered Jack, pushing Mafumu. “Come on. If we’re seen here we’d be taken prisoner.”
The boys crept back. Mafumu was frightened, for the Folk of the Mountain had looked so strange! The two boys went back until they came to another door. It was shut. They pushed against it and it opened.
The room inside was very odd. It held nothing at all but a rope ladder that went up and up and up into the darkness of the roof!
“There must be a narrow hole that goes up for a long way,” whispered Jack. “I wonder where the rope ladder leads to. Sh! Mafumu — there’s someone coming!”
Sure enough, voices and footsteps could be heard once more. Mafumu gave a groan of fright, caught hold of the rope ladder, and was up it in a trice, disappearing into the darkness of the high roof at once. Jack thought it was a good idea and he followed as well.
Just in time! Three men came into the little room, shut the door and began to talk in their harsh voices. Jack and Mafumu stayed still on the ladder, for they knew that if they climbed higher the ladder would shake and the men would guess someone was up there.
The men talked for ten minutes, and then went out. The two boys climbed up the ladder at once. They thought they would be safer at the top than at the bottom!
The ladder was fastened to a ledge, and opposite the ledge was another door, strong and heavy. It was bolted on the outside with great heavy bolts that looked impossible to move!
“Somebody’s bolted in there,” whispered Jack. “Do you suppose it’s Peggy and Nora and Mike and the rest of them?”
Mafumu nodded. Yes — he felt sure they had stumbled on the prison of the rest of their little party! He began to pull at the bolts.