“Oh, come, don’t you know!” pleaded the Englishman. “I only told Mr. Sherman what I suspected. You see this man Howell appeared to recognize that bag, and his manner showed me that he was in cahoots with the man in brown who was killed in the race.”
“Come on, come on!” yelled Terry. “I’ve got a patient in here starving to death!”
“We really ought to hurry,” advised Ben. “I’m afraid we’ve been too full of our own schemes to appreciate the exact situation.”
“Come along, then,” advised Terry.
The whole party, save Mr. Havens, trooped into the cavern and turned to the left when they came to the rock which split the subterranean place into two chambers. Keeping straight on, illuminating the cavern with their searchlights as they went, they came to an opening in the south wall which had been temporarily barricaded with rocks and timbers.
When Ben held the searchlight to the small opening between the top timber and the roof of the chamber a pale and frightened face looked out.
“Hello, Colleton!” exclaimed Ben.
“Thank God!” was all the imprisoned man said.
In a short time the barricade was down and the inspector, safe and sound, was out in the open air, talking earnestly with Mr. Havens who, of course, had not entered the cavern.
“I never expected to see the light of day again!” the inspector said in a trembling voice.