In ten minutes more both of the boys found it impossible to keep their eyes open. They stretched themselves and shook their heads, but all to no purpose.
"Fred, I believe we have been drugged!" murmured Joe at last.
"Drugged?"
"Yes. There was something in the eating or in that drinking water meant to put us to sleep."
"The ras—rascals!" Fred yawned again. "I never—never—thought that any—anybody——" And then his eyes closed and he sank into a stupor. A moment later Joe went to sleep likewise, breathing heavily and with his head hanging on his breast.
"Thought that would do the work," said the masked fellow to himself. "Now it will be dead easy to keep them here until to-morrow night."
He approached both boys and examined each, to make certain that he was not shamming. Then he cut their bonds and allowed them to slip down on the ground. This done he hurried away, to return half an hour later with several blankets.
"I'll have to watch 'em until morning, I reckon," the masked fellow told himself. "Then, if they are still asleep, they can look after themselves." Thus musing, he placed them on one blanket and covered them with the other.
When Joe awoke it was with a dull feeling in his head which was far from pleasant. He had been dreaming that he was far underground and that all sorts of things were pressing upon him and that he could not throw them off. His mouth was parched and his eyeballs ached as they had never ached before.
"Oh, dear!" he murmured. "Oh, dear!" And then he tried to sit up, only to fall back again. "Harry!" He fancied he might be at home in bed with his brother beside him.