“Only lately, sir, but it seems to get worse,” he answered.
Sydney had been rummaging about in the cellar; he now appeared with a piece of bar steel pointed on the end.
“Let’s open another box, Phil,” he suggested.
After a few minutes the cover of a box was pried open. The lads gave a gasp of surprise. It contained only rocks. Another and another lid was forced, until the last box was opened to the light. Not one contained arms but were piled to the top with rocks; only the one examined by Lazar held arms.
Craig was stupefied with terror.
“If you wish to save yourself,” Phil whispered, turning upon the frightened sailor, “tell us where the guns have been taken. We know you have been forced to do this work.”
The man’s knees shook and his voice failed him.
“He’ll kill me if I tell,” he whined pitifully.
“No, he won’t,” Phil hastily assured him. “We shall tell him nothing. We promise.”
“They were taken through this underground passageway to the next house,” Craig replied in a terrified whisper, showing the cleverly concealed opening to a secret tunnel underneath the cellar floor; “they are now in Mr. Juarez’s house at La Mesa. I overheard the order given to hide them there.”