“Some one’s coming!” snarled the old man. “The police, maybe. You’ve sent ’em. But they won’t find you. Quick, Bombee—the secret room—open the door!”
The half-witted creature bounded forward, and caught up a club. Bess screamed, fearing the fellow was going to attack them. But the idiot merely put the stick in a hole in the wall, and pressed on the lever with all his might. A heavy plank door swung out, revealing a black room.
“Into that with you!” cried the old man.
“No!” screamed Cora.
“In there with you or I’ll——”
He looked so terrible, and made such a threatening gesture, and the half-witted youth seemed so ready to do his master’s bidding that the girls shrank back from the claw-like hands of the old man, and fairly ran into the secret room opened by the helper. Once inside they heard the door close after them.
“Oh!” gasped Belle. “This is terrible, Cora! What shall we do?”
“Keep quiet a minute. Let me think. Oh, oh!”
Hazel flashed on her light.
“Thank heaven for that!” moaned Belle. “We can at least see.”