The Execution at Dawn
"Who is there?" came a frightened voice from the farthest corner of the room.
"It's the American boys who were talking with you at the window," answered Harry, reassuringly. "We are friends. Do not fear."
"Oh," came in a gasp of relief. "I thought they were about to inflict some new horror upon me. What have you done?"
"We do not quite know ourselves. In some way we touched a secret spring that rolled over this stone and formed a passage between these two cells. It is just possible that there may be another one. May we come in and look?"
"Yes, yes, come in. Oh, perhaps it is true—perhaps we shall be able to escape from this horrible place."
"Do not hope for too much. It was only a chance thought of mine. However, we better see."
The boys climbed through the opening without difficulty and found themselves in a room exactly similar to the one they had left, except that it was furnished a little more comfortably for a woman.
The moon had set, but they were now so used to the darkness that with the little starlight that penetrated through the barred windows they were able to see quite well. They went at once to the wall directly opposite and began an eager search for a diamond-shaped stone. There was none, nor was there any big slab-like stone resembling the revolving one in the wall through which they had just passed. They tried the other two walls, but also without avail. It was evident that only these two cells were connected.
"Well, Miss Juanita," said Harry, when they had assured themselves that there was no other opening, "we have only succeeded in widening our prisons. There is no other means of exit but the doors. I am very sorry to have raised your expectations."