"No. Somebody else we haven't seen, but I can guess who it is."
"Who is it?"
"I won't tell yet—not until I'm sure. But we'll see him. Maybe we'll surprise him and Jeremiah here some night and take them captive."
"Hello," said Andy as he put his foot on the stairs. "What's this?"
Beside the chimney was a black hole and fastened to the chimney was an iron bar like the rung of a ladder. Andy peered down.
"There's another rung," he said. "I wonder where this ladder goes?"
"We'll have to find out," said Hortense. "Dear me, this is a most mysterious house."
Andy put one foot on the ladder and began to descend. Soon his head disappeared from sight.
"It goes down and down, probably to the basement," he called. "Come on."
Hortense obeyed, and down and down they went. It was very dark, but now and then a little chink beside the chimney let in a ray of light.