Once inside the house the bullies went through their pockets and took their money, watches and everything else of value. The rascals then withdrew to one corner of the room and held a lengthy whispered conversation which the boys could not hear. It was not hard to deduce that they were the subjects of the discussion, however, and the boys waited with what patience they could muster for the next move.
Nor had they long to wait. The conference in the corner came to an end, and Hen Lemming approached them.
“You fellers will be sorry that you ever interfered with me before I get through with you,” he blustered. “It will be a long time before you get back home. I’ll show you that it doesn’t pay to butt in on my affairs.”
“We don’t ask any pay; it’s a pleasure,” said Billy, with an attempt at a grin, but Hen’s scowl only grew deeper.
“You’ll be laughing out of the other side of your face pretty soon,” he threatened. “Take them down to the cellar, boys, and be sure you lock the door after you when you come up. I don’t want to take any chances of their getting away.”
Resistance in their present predicament was out of the question, and the four boys were hustled down a dark flight of steps and into a damp and moldy cellar, without a ray of light in it except the few feeble gleams that percolated down from the door at the top of the stairs. Even this was soon shut off, and they heard the door slam and the sound of a key being turned in the lock.
Bobby was the first to speak.
“We seem to be out of luck, fellows,” he said, with an extremely rueful laugh. “I never thought that big bully would ever get the best of us, but it looks as though he had at last.”
“It’s his turn now, all right, but ours will come,” said Fred. “I wonder if there isn’t any way out of this black hole.”
“You wouldn’t be able to see it, if there were,” said Bobby. “Let’s feel around the walls and see if we can discover anything.”