He gave two quick tugs, and the skeleton slowly ascended, twisting and turning in unnatural, white gyrations, throwing grotesque shadows against the ceiling.
"Now, let's get up to see Hickey come out," said Macnooder with a chuckle. "He's a sight."
Ten minutes later, as they waited expectantly, listening at the opening of the narrow passage, a sneeze resounded.
"What's that?" exclaimed Legs, whose nerves were tense.
"That's Hickey," said Macnooder with a chuckle. "He'll be along in a minute. He's scattering red pepper after him so no one can crawl in to get the skeleton down. Gee! he must have swallowed half of it."
A succession of sneezes resounded, and then with a scramble an unrecognisable form shot out of the opening, covered with cobwebs and the accumulated dust of years.
"For heaven's sake, Hickey, stop sneezing!" cried Macnooder in tremor. "You'll get us pinched."
"I—I—can't help it," returned Hickey between sneezes. "Great idea of yours—red pepper!"
"Just think of the fellow that goes in after you," said Macnooder, "and stop sneezing."