"Impossible," chuckled Jack, in spite of the seriousness of their predicament. "Where there's fire there's light, and I can't see a single ray of light in this miserable place!"
"Hush, Jack!" cautioned Harry. "Not so loud or they'll find us. Can't you hear them tramping about in the room above?"
Harry's question brought Ned and Jack to a realization of the fact that the room they had so recently quitted was occupied by the soldiers from whom they had tried to escape. Footsteps echoed along the stout floor, and the boys could hear sounds indicating that pieces of furniture were being hurriedly overturned.
"Uh!" grunted Jack as he suddenly bumped into Ned. "Wonder you wouldn't blow signals when you're going to cross ahead of a fellow."
"Hush!" whispered Ned. "They may hear us! Let's wait a bit!"
All three boys drew close together. They instinctively clasped hands in the darkness, looking for some degree of comfort in the act.
The noises above them gradually lessened. Presently they ceased altogether, and the boys could hear footsteps clattering along the floor in the direction they assumed the door to be. Directly quiet reigned in the place.
"They've gone, I guess," Ned said after a moment's wait. "Now what shall we do? Shall we climb back into the house?"
"I move that we explore this apartment first," said Jack.
"Oh, no!" urged Harry. "This isn't a nice place to go poking around in. We have troubles enough already without hunting more."