Penny dropped down on her knees beside Lorinda, peering into the empty wooden box.
“I hope you don’t think Salt and I took anything when we were here,” she murmured uncomfortably. “We never even opened the chest.”
“Of course I know you didn’t,” Lorinda replied. “Such a thought never entered my mind. But it’s disturbing to know these things are gone. Why weren’t the other trophies taken also?”
“Possibly, because the person who stole them thought the objects inside the chest would not be so quickly missed.”
Lorinda nodded as if in agreement, and closed the chest. As she straightened up, a tense, strained expression came over her face, and she stiffened.
“Listen!” she whispered.
From behind the walls of the house came a muffled dum—dum—dum of a drum. Even as the girls tensely listened, the sound died away.
“Could this cottage have a secret panel?” Penny asked in an excited voice.
“I don’t think so.” Badly frightened, Lorinda tried not to show it. “At least I never heard of one.”
Penny began tapping the walls, none of which gave off a hollow sound. The section by the fireplace appeared somewhat thicker than the others. However, if it contained a moveable panel, she could not locate it.