“Keep quiet!” whispered Andy. “The old man may be listening.”
“I didn’t mean to make that noise,” was the reply. “Come on, quick!”
Andy dropped down on the coal and both boys left the bin and came out into the cellar proper. It was quite dark and they stumbled over some ironware and crocks. The ironware made a crash that could be heard all through the mansion.
“Hi! hi! Who is that?” they heard the old man yell, and then he came running across the floor overhead.
“Quick, or we’ll be caught again!” exclaimed Pepper. “I see a way out!”
He had espied a back entrance to the cellar. To this he ran, with Andy close behind him. They pushed open a door and ran up a flight of stone steps. Above was the back yard, close to the kitchen of the house.
The cadets did not wait to look around them, but made a straight dash across the yard toward a barn. They skirted this building and as they did so Pepper gave a cry of wonder.
“See, Andy!” he exclaimed.
“What is it?”
“That boy—running through the trees!”