Two Chinamen came into the room.
Tom Quee seemed to have his hands full with them, whatever it was they wanted.
They gabbled away in Chinese until Ed was sick of listening to them.
Then they seemed to fade away.
He ventured to open the door slightly and peer through the crack.
The room was vacant; the door leading into the secret passage was open; evidently the Chinamen had gone that way.
Ed slipped out and tried the other door, seized with some wild idea of making his escape.
There was nothing doing, however, for the door was securely locked and the key gone.
Glad to get back to his closet, Ed waited there.
At last all three Chinamen returned and Tom Quee let the intruders out, calling Ed when they had gone.