But Lynch, in the excitement, had completely lost his wits. He didn’t seem able to locate the button again.
The inspector sprang back and shoved the detective out of the way while he reached for the projecting match in the hole himself.
Louis Hammond, at the edge of the raging torrent, stood transfixed, terrified at what he saw being flung down toward him on the crest of the maddened tide.
CHAPTER XXV
“THE MAN THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN”
I
Unusual commotion below stairs awakened Josephine Stone at a very early hour the morning following the storm. She arose and opened the door to listen. Mrs. Johnson, fully dressed, came down the hall.
“Oh, are you getting up, Josephine?” she greeted. “We didn’t intend calling you for an hour or so.”
“It was the noise. What’s going on downstairs?”
“Didn’t you know? Why, I was wakened at an unearthly hour by your Indian maid, Mary. She’s back with us again. She said Mr. Smith told her you were leaving here to-day and it had been found necessary to make an early start. I saw Mr. Smith downstairs, and he said there was a boat waiting at the tunnel at the other end of the Cup to take us and our belongings back to Amethyst Island. I—I thought you knew all about it, Josephine?”
“Why, yes—I had forgotten. Mr. Smith called last night after you had gone to bed to notify me.”