Whatever it could be that was having this strange effect upon these two, he felt that he ought to share in the knowledge, and accordingly Dolph immediately turned his eyes in the same direction.
Dolph was conscious of a peculiar prickly sensation all over his scalp, as though his hair might be feeling an inclination to stand on end. When he came to reflect upon the circumstance later, he did not wonder at having experienced this feeling, since the cabin bore such a bad name, and was said to be haunted by uneasy ghosts.
A section of the floor itself was slowly rising upward, as if propelled by invisible hands. From its shape Dolph could readily guess that it was really some sort of trap that had at some time or other been cut in the heavy boards.
If there were such things as ghosts, surely this must be some of their work; but while Dolph was amazed beyond measure, and awaited the outcome with eagerness, he was not yet ready to commit himself upon this score, until he had seen the spirit with his own eyes.
Higher rose the square, while little Sallie held her breath, and shrank closer to Amos, who, unconsciously perhaps, put out an arm as though to protect her.
Then the section of flooring having attained a perpendicular position began to lower; the trap was being dropped back towards the boards.
Dolph gave a chuckle of delight when he saw the smiling face of Teddy exposed.
The lumberman’s son may have known of the trap before, since he had visited this same cabin; or else he had prowled around just now to advantage, discovering how to crawl under the old shack, and reach this opening.
He was holding up his finger at the surprised pair, as if to warn them that silence was the best policy just then.
Dolph fully expected to see his chum climb out of the hole, and greet the prisoner; and he was about to chime in with hearty words on his own account, when suddenly the boy bobbed back into the cavity under the cabin; pulling the trap shut after him.