“Do you suppose it could be them?” whispered Agnes.
“Who?” asked Neale, though he could guess.
“Those men Hop Wong told about. Are they coming back to have another search for the buried gold?”
“We’ll soon find out!” declared Hal, who stood with Nalbro and the others in the hall, where the leave-taking had been going on. “Us for the cellar, boys!” and he looked at Neale and Luke.
“Wait a minute!” begged Ruth. “Let’s be sure of them this time! Don’t let them get away—provided it’s those men!”
“It’s somebody all right,” declared Nalbro, with a little shiver which brought her closer to Hal. “And they seem to be digging. Listen! Don’t you hear a thudding sound?”
In the silence that followed the whispers they were all aware of a distinct thudding sound as if picks were being wielded on the soft bottom of the Corner House cellar.
“I think they have nerve to come and dig under our very noses!” declared Agnes. “When we’re entertaining company, too!”
“It’s because of the company that they came, I fancy,” replied Ruth. “They figured that so much noise would be going on that they wouldn’t be heard. They probably have been watching their chance to sneak in when the house was busy.”
“This is terrible!” complained Agnes. “We are being spied upon the whole time! Something must be done! Neale, what are you going to do?”