“Oh, Jack,” Molly sobbed. “They’re the Pumpkin’s friends. We’re trapped!”
CHAPTER XI
Trapped
Jack and Molly clutched hold of each other tightly, while a feeling of despair rushed over them. How foolish, how very foolish, they had been to trust the girl! What awful thing could be going to happen to them now? they wondered. The whispered conversation between the two at the end of the passage ended in a loud burst of laughter and giggling; then the girl turned toward them and beckoned.
“Come on,” she said, “and the quicker the better it will be for you.... No nonsense now,” as the children did not move.
“How dare you!” Jack managed to say. “Open this door and let us out at once. You—you mean sneak!” His voice was shaky, but very determined.
“Oh, don’t be silly,” said the girl. “You’ve got to obey now—so you might just as well come—unless you’d like me to fetch you both?”
“Heh! Heh!” laughed the figure behind her. “I’d like to see you fetch them—that I would!”
The laughter and the nameless threat underlying the words gave the children a creepy sensation all up and down their spines.
“Oh, let’s go before she fetches us,” cried Molly, and went forward, dragging Jack by the hand.
“That’s sense,” said the girl, and made room for them to pass out of the passage into the firelight.