A bunch of keys!
2
He stared at them like a man in a trance. And then, like a man in a trance, he gathered them into his hand and felt them, felt the smooth hard cold contact of them, wondering if that ghastly adventure had unhinged his brain.
But the keys might have fallen out of Essenden's pocket in the fight.
He shot a sidelong glance at Essenden; but for the moment Essenden had forgotten his existence.
Even so, he could not take a chance.
He rolled away, still seeming to wrestle with his chain, and splashed into the little stream.
Under cover of the water, he could try every key on the bunch without being observed.
"Hold on, Jill!"
His voice rang in the cave with the old unconquerable Saintly lilt as clear in it as sunlight, and Essenden turned to bare his teeth again and laugh.