The door of the forward locker was so disposed that, if one were lying on the berth with his head forward, the door could not be opened without its coming in contact with his head. Therefore, the sound, if it came from within the locker, would be immediately in the ears of any one occupying the berth.
Holding a lantern in one hand, Henry Burns opened the door of the locker and looked within. There was no sign of anything alive there.
“We gave this cabin a pretty good overhauling before, after that treasure,” said Harvey. “It looks just the same now as it did.”
“Well, it must be underneath, then,” said Henry Burns.
“Yes, and we looked there, too,” said Harvey.
“Well, we’ll do the job more thoroughly, this time,” replied Henry Burns. “Hand me one of those candles, and I’ll look underneath.”
So saying, he set down his lantern, and pulled out one of the drawers directly underneath the berth where he had lain. As he did so, he gave an exclamation of surprise.
“What is it?” asked Harvey, appearing with the candle.
“I think we’re on the right track,” said Henry Burns. “Look, there’s where the witches get through.”
Close to the cabin floor, where a support of the cabin roof came down, a few inches below the lower edge of the drawer, was a small hole, large enough to admit of a mouse.