"Shall we open it?" Andy asked.
"Of course," said Hortense.
By pulling and tugging they succeeded at last in lifting the lid.
"It's empty," said Andy much disappointed. "I hoped it might be full of gold and jewels."
Hortense had a sudden thought.
"This is where Jeremiah went the time we couldn't find him."
Andy was unconvinced.
"A cat couldn't open a trapdoor," he said.
"Maybe Jeremiah could. He's no ordinary cat. Besides there's another one."
"Another cat?" Andy demanded.