“Ye Gods!” cried Jack. “I never thought of it. And it’s never locked—the bolt’s off!”
“But we mustn’t go in from the outside. It’s too much of a risk. We’ll get the fellows to let us in; then we’ll go down from the inside. If there’s anyone down there, they could never get away so fast that we won’t get them.”
“Right!” agreed Jack.
They pounded on the door. Once inside the doorway, the excited boys crowded around them.
“We were just thinking about going out to look for you two,” said Dick Roberts. “What news?”
“None! The rain cut short our search.”
“Some rain!”
“A couple of you fellows watch that back cellar-door,” said John. “We’re going to look down there.”
Leading the way, and followed by Jack and the others, he descended the cellar-stairs from the hall, holding his flash-light before him. He felt a chill run up and down his spine as he entered that gloomy place. But an intruder, had there been one, would have been up against it, opposed to these youths, each armed with flash-light and revolver.
They made a thorough search, and not discovering anything, went upstairs again, where the two boys watching the back door reported that no one had made an exit that way. John and Jack removed their wet outer clothing, and wrapped up in blankets, while the others built up a hot fire with which to dry them.