Mrs. Johnson shook her head emphatically. “This place is surrounded by an unscalable wall of cliffs,” she said. “There are but two openings; the one you came in where they turn the waters of the lake in by means of some gate operated by electric power and another tunnel through the cliffs down to the edge of Lake Superior on the northwestern side.”
“Why couldn’t we get out the latter way?”
“Because, Josie, it is merely a tunnel going down to the edge of the big lake or an inlet from it. That’s the way they get in their supplies for this place from the boats, but the upper end is closed by great, heavy double doors which are kept securely locked. They have some system of signals by which the Indians here are notified when a boat docks at the mouth of the tunnel.”
“And isn’t there any one in authority here besides those Indians?” insisted Miss Stone. “Are you sure there are no other buildings in the Cup besides these?”
“There are none that I have seen trace of, and I have heard no one giving orders except that frightful Ogima Bush. But,” and Mrs. Johnson lowered her voice, “I have felt every hour I have been in this place that there is some one or something one never sees or hears—”
Her words were cut short by a hissing, crackling disturbance that suddenly broke loose in the upper air outside.
Mrs. Johnson reassuringly placed a hand upon her companion’s arm. “It is only the wireless, dear,” she explained. “It has sputtered away like that a couple of times since I’ve been here, but who operates it, unless it be one of the Indians, I have not been able to find out.
“Oh, yes, I had almost forgotten to tell you,” she added suddenly, “that hideous Indian Medicine Man seems to be hanging around outside to see you about something.” She went to the window and peered out. “He’s gone at last,” she observed. “He had been waiting around out on the lawn over there since he and the other two brought your belongings. I asked him if there was any message he had to leave; but he only made a noise in his throat like the snarl of a wild beast and walked away.”
III
It was a few moments later that Josephine Stone, while walking down to the shore of the little lake, was suddenly confronted by Ogima Bush.