Part 21 (2/2)
The trap door had been closed.
CHAPTER XXIV
IN THE DARK
Better men than they might have quailed in such a predicament. Here they were, at ten o'clock at night, shut in an underground pa.s.sage that led heaven only knew where, and with, to say the least of it, small chance of escape. They might stay there all night, but the morning would probably bring release and-discovery. It was a combination which brought to them very mixed emotions.
Black Whiskers, should he be their rescuer might at once a.s.sume an entirely different role-would most likely do so, in fact. There was a grim element in this game of chance which they would just as soon had been absent.
Well, here they were, and the next thing would be to try their hands at escape on their own account. Perhaps the trap-door hadn't been tightly fastened down. It was a chance, of course.
”We'll try the trap-door end first, lad,” said Cleek. ”If that doesn't work we'll have a go at the other, but somehow you must get to the docks by midnight. You may learn the whole secret there, and it would be the worst luck in the world if you missed the chance; you mustn't. Come on.”
”I seconds that motion,” threw in Dollops, though in a somewhat forlorn voice. ”I kin just imagine what it must be like to be a ghost tied up in a fambly vault, an' it fills me with a feelin' of sympathy for them creeturs wot I never felt before. Like a blooming messlinoleum this is!”
”Mausoleum, you grammatical wonder!” responded Cleek, and even in his anxiety he could not refrain from a laugh.
”Well, mausoleum or muskiloleum makes no difference to me, sir. What I wants ter know is-'ow do we get out of this charmin' little country seat? Try the trap-door, you ses. Right you are!”
He was up the rough steps like a shot, forgetful of the fact that, though the door might be closed, there might also be others strolling along in that secluded spot. Cleek came up now, behind him, and with a caution of silence steadied himself upon the step below, and pressed his shoulder up against the heavy door. He pushed and shoved with all his might, while Dollops aided with every ounce of strength in his young body.
The door responded not one whit. Black Whiskers had done his work well and thoroughly, possibly as an object-lesson to the absent Jenkins. And Jenkins, by the way, was the name of Cleek's new-found friend of the factory. H'm. That was cause for thought. Then Jenkins was more ”in the know” than he had given him credit for. Possibly Black Whiskers knew already of their conversation at dinner-time. He'd have to close down on that source of information, at any rate-if they ever got out of this business alive.
These thoughts pa.s.sed through Cleek's brain even while his shoulders and his strength were at work upon the unresponsive door. Only failure marked their efforts. At last, breathless and exhausted from the strain, Cleek descended the steps again. He listened, and, hearing nothing, signalled Dollops to follow him.
”They must have got in somewhere, and here's hoping it wasn't through this trap-door,” he said evenly. ”We'll see about it anyway. Unless they were as careful with the door at the other end. It's a sporting chance, Dollops my lad, and we've got to take it. I'll use my torch unless we hear anything. Then we'll have to trust to luck. Heaven alone knows how far this blessed affair runs on. We'll reach London soon, if we go on like this!”
”Yus, and find ourselves in Mr. Narkom's office, a-burrowin' under 'is 'Ighness' desk!” finished Dollops, with a little giggle of amus.e.m.e.nt. ”And 'e wouldn't 'arf be astonished, would 'e, sir?... Crumbs! but the chaps wot made this bloomin' tube did their job fair, didn't they? It goes on forever.... Whew! I'm winded already.”
”Then what you'll be by the end of this affair, goodness knows, my lad!” responded Cleek, over his shoulder. He was pressing on, hugging the wall, his eyes peering into the gloom ahead. ”It seems to be continuing for some time. h.e.l.lo! here's a turning, and the question is, shall we go straight on, or turn?”
”Seems as if them two blighters came round a turnin', judging from the nearness of their voices, sir,” said Dollops, with entire sense.
Cleek nodded.
”You're right.... More sacks. If I wasn't so anxious to get out of this place so that you shouldn't be late for your 'appointment' with our friend Black Whiskers, I'd chance my luck and have a look what was in 'em. But there's no time now. We don't know how long this peculiar journey of ours is going to last.”
They pressed on steadily along the rough, rudely made floor, on and on and on, the little torch showing always the few feet in front of them, to safeguard them against any pitfalls that might be laid for the unwary traveller. It seemed hours that they walked thus, and their wonder at the elaborateness of this extraordinary tunnel system grew. There were turnings every now and again, pa.s.sageways branching off from the main one into other patches of unbroken gloom. And it was a ticklish job at best. At any moment someone might round the next corner and come upon them, and then-the game would be up with a vengeance. At Dollops's suggestion they followed always the turnings upon the right.
”Always keep to the right, sir, and you'll never go far wrong-that's what they teaches you in Lunnon. An' that's what I always follows. It's no use gittin' lost. So best make a set rule and foller it.”
”Well, at any rate there's no harm in doing so,” responded Cleek a little glumly. ”We don't know the way out and we might as well try one plan as another. Seems pretty well closed up for the night, doesn't it? It certainly is a pa.s.sage and if the door at the other end is impa.s.sable after all this wandering, I'll, I'll-I don't know.”
”Carn't do no good by worritin', sir. Just 'ave to carry on-that's all we kin do,” responded Dollops, with some effort at comfort. ”There's summink in front of us now. Looks like the end of the blinkin' cage, don't it? Better investigate afore we 'it it too hard, sir.”
”You're right, Dollops.”
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