“Did he beat you up and hide you in here?” Chub wanted to know.
“Yes,” Alex’s head wobbled unsteadily in the dark. “Charley put me in there and locked the back door. Guess he forgot about the old tunnel. I was trying to get to the main building that way, and I—must have fainted. My leg’s hurt. But it’s not much farther, though. Think you could help me?”
“Sure thing!” Chub got to his feet to help the injured boy, when whang! something smooth and solid struck him in the back of the head, a terrific blow that made him wince. “Gosh, that Charley guy must be around right here in this tunnel, with an ax or something. Wish we had a match or a flash.”
“I got hit, too.” Joan rubbed her forehead.
“I’ll fix him.” Chub swung his clenched fists wildly about in the darkness, ready to fight, and Joan flattened herself against the chill wall. But though he battled in the blackness everywhere, he succeeded only in butting into the tunnel walls or against Joan or Alex. There seemed to be nothing there. And yet, both he and Joan had been hit, and hit hard. Could Charley have some mysterious contraption rigged up to torture them? Determined not to give up, Chub still swung at the air, and finally his fingers touched something smooth and round, just before him, about on a level with his head. Well, at least the unseen foe wasn’t an animal. Still, it might be a bomb. No, too small for that, the boy decided as his stubby fingers went all over the surface of the thing. Then his sudden laugh filled the cave.
“I-it’s an electric light bulb hanging down from the ceiling,” he announced. “Wait a minute. I’ll see if it turns on.”
It didn’t, so they were still in darkness. Chub and Joan pulled Alex to his feet. He could not muffle his cries. Joan’s heart ached for the hurt boy. Then, with an arm around the neck of each, Alex managed to walk along. They decided not to attempt getting him up the cellar stairs. Better to go on to the main building.
“Gee, I’m glad it’s you, Jo, and not that simp of an Amy,” Chub said, as they went along.
It was a slow and painful procedure, but as Alex had said, it was not very far, and at last they reached the door that must lead to the main building. It was barred, and she and Chub thumped mightily on it. Would no one ever, ever hear? Would they have to go all the way through the tunnel again and across the fields to the car, and the long way around? Alex might not be able to stand such strain. He was weak, and seemed to be bleeding, for Joan felt something warm and thick trickle against her hand when she brushed against him. His coat felt stiff in spots, too.
Chub would not give up. He kicked and pounded on the door till finally they heard a bolt being slipped on the other side. The door gave way and the three of them almost tumbled out into the big hall of the main building. The boys were lined up there again, and the principal was calling the roll, in the same singsong drone as before.