It was dark as pitch where the boys were, and they felt about until their hands touched. The personal contact gave them new courage.
“What do you make of it?” asked Jule. “This doesn’t look good to me!”
“We’ve simply butted in on some other fellow’s game,” Alex. replied. “We seem to have visited a crank who thinks it best to be prepared in advance for unwelcome guests.”
“A moonshiner or a river pirate!” Jule suggested.
“That’s about it!” Alex. answered. “We’ve interrupted the industry of a set of illicit whisky makers or warehouse thieves. The valley is said to swarm with bandits whenever the river is out of its banks. Now, the question is how are we going to get out and back to the Rambler?”
They did not know that at that moment Clay and the motor boat were in a situation far more serious than that in which they now found themselves!
“I wish it wasn’t so dark here!” Jule whispered.
“Why the soft pedal?” asked Alex. “We’ve got a right to talk as loudly as we like, I take it, being alone in a dark old donjon keep!”
“There’s some one in the room with us!” Jule explained, in a whisper which barely reached his chum’s ears, so faint it was. “I hear him breathing.”
“Hello!” Alex. called out, then. “Hello! Come on out an’ be a good fellow!”