Thus the talk went on, hope contending with fear, and as the minutes ticked away, Dave Wilbur kept an anxious eye upon his watch. “The fifteen minutes are up,” he announced after what had seemed an endless wait. “Ned said it would take him that long, at least.”
Yet another full minute passed. Then there came a scraping sound on the farther side of the door, which quickly swung open, disclosing the dripping form of Ned Blake. The shout of relief and joy that burst from four throats was promptly checked by Ned’s warning gesture.
“Keep quiet!” he cried. “Tumble up here! Quick! Bring my clothes!”
The boys obeyed without question, and as they passed through the door, Ned closed it, replaced the heavy beam which had held it shut, and hurried his companions to a hiding-place behind a pile of barrels.
“There’s no chance to get out yet,” he chattered, as he struggled into his garments. “I had a narrow squeak of it. Latrobe and Slade were coming through the gate in Dave’s flivver, just as I turned the corner of the house. There was a truck right behind them. They’ll be here in a minute. Lie low and don’t breathe!”
Tommy Beals had brought one of the lanterns, which was quickly extinguished, and the boys had barely time to settle themselves in their places of concealment when the stone slab in the foundation wall swung back and the swarthy face of Latrobe appeared in the opening. A moment he paused to listen intently, then crept into the cellar, followed by Slugger Slade and the red-faced man whom Ned had recognized as Miller.
“They took both lanterns,” growled the leader, as he shot the rays of a flashlight into the niche where lay the canvas and the coil of rope.
“Yeah, they had both lights burning when I was watching ’em monkeying with the dump-car,” replied Slade. “They were too busy to notice me, so I just swung the door on ’em and propped that beam against it,” and Slade pointed to the heavy timber which still held the door shut.
“Well, maybe that was as good as you could have done,” was the grudging reply. “The game’s up, but we’ll load what we’ve got and make our get-away before anybody else comes snoopin’ around.”
“What’ll we do with these smart kids that butted in on our game and ruined it?” snarled Miller.