This talk reached Captain Sudlip’s ears—as it was intended it should—and his wrathful look gave place to a grim smile.
“Thought I’d make ’em knuckle under,” he muttered.
In the meantime Sam and Darry continued to climb down with all speed. It was hard for Captain Sudlip to look down at them but he felt the vines moving. He waited a few seconds. Then he heard a dull thud as both boys dropped to the ground below.
“Hi! you!” he yelled, and his face changed instantly. “Aren’t you coming up? Well, I’ll be jiggered!”
For at that moment he caught sight of the two boys, hurrying down the road leading away from the old convent. They were going at their best rate of speed and soon disappeared from view.
“Lost ’em!” he muttered and shook his fist in impotent rage. “First one and now two. I must get out of here. This spot will soon be too hot to hold me!”
In the meantime the boys had made good their escape, with no injury excepting half a dozen scratches from the rough vines and the convent wall. On striking the ground their one thought had been to put distance between themselves and their enemy, and they ran a good way before they dropped into a walk.
“That was an adventure truly,” puffed Darry. “Wonder what Professor Strong will say when he hears of it.”
“We ought to have Captain Sudlip locked up, Darry. Besides we don’t know yet what has become of Hockley.”
“That’s true. What do you propose?”