"Don't you girls dare to fasten the door," she called. "I should die of fright if I thought I was locked in this hole."
"We'll come in by way of the front door," called back Tom, as he began burrowing into the hole. The place was inky black save for the faint light shed by the candle. "Don't be afraid. After we get out from under the house you will be able to stand up."
"Oh! Is the passage so long as that?" gasped Bab. "I—I guess I don't want to go any further. I'll explore with you to-morrow."
"It won't be any lighter in the daytime," reminded the boy. "It's always dark down here." He was getting further and further away from her.
"Thomas Presby, you come right back here," commanded Barbara. "I won't go another step."
"'Fraid cat!" jeered Thomas.
"I'm not!" retorted Bab, starting forward. She knew she could easily find her way back again. She bumped her head against the roof of the passage several times. The place smelled stuffy and mouldy, though the girl realized that a faint current of air was passing through the tunnel. All at once she discovered that the passage had grown larger. She was able to stand up without difficulty. She then made a further discovery. Tom and his light had disappeared.
"Tom! Oh, Tom!" cried Barbara.
There was no answer. The silence was so deep that it made her ears ring. At first the girl was panic stricken, then she reasoned out her situation more calmly. She had only to retrace her steps to return to the dining room. Tom no doubt had eluded her and left the passage through an exit known only to himself. She would show him that she was as good as any boy.
"I'll go straight back," declared Barbara. But somehow the "going back" was not accomplished with the ease that she had hoped for. The way seemed much longer than had been the case when she was on her way in. Bab was peering ahead of her, expecting every moment to catch sight of the light from the dining room. She would have called out to her companions, only she did not want them to know that she was in trouble or that she was afraid.