couldn't get away."
"Nonsense! The water would have pushed the stones down."
"It did, as soon as I pushed too. The wall was only just strong enoughbefore."
"I tell you it must have run in from the lake."
"It couldn't, Fred. The bottom of the passage is higher; and when Icame out the water was only just over my shoes. By to-morrow you see ifit isn't drained right out. There, you see, it has pretty well stoppednow."
Scarlett was quite right, for the water was now flowing out silently,and in very small volume.
"Well, we will not argue about it," said Fred. "Perhaps you're right,but I don't think you are. Anyhow, we've found the way in, and youcouldn't have done it without me."
"No; nor you without me, Fred."
"No; and I say--Oh!"
"What's the matter?"
"Don't I want my breakfast."
"Yes; it must be nearly time. Come up and have some with me."
Fred shook his head.
"No," he said. "Your father did not seem to want me there last night."
"Nonsense!"
"Oh no, it was not. You come home with me. What's that?"
Scarlett listened, for there was a rustling and crashing noise, as ofsome animal forcing its way down through the hazel stubs to get to theedge of the lake to drink.
They waited breathlessly as the sounds grew nearer, and then stopped.The silence only lasted a minute, and then plainly enough came afamiliar voice.
"I thought it was just here. Now, where have they got themselves to?"
Then the rustling was continued, and Nat came into sight.
The boys glanced sharply at the place where the water flowed, but therewas nothing now but a feeble trickle, not likely to excite attention.
"Oh, there you are, Master Scarlett! Well, how many have you caught?"
"Not one, Nat," cried Fred, sharply.
"You don't put your lines in the right places, lads. Where are theynow?"
"Not going to tell you," replied Fred, sharply. "There, hear that?Didn't some one call?"
"No," cried Nat; "I didn't hear nobody. Show me where your lines arelaid. Aren't put any down here, have you?"
"No; it wouldn't be any use."
"I should think not. Why, if you hooked an eel, he'd run in and outamong the dead wood and roots till your lines would be all tangledtogether, and you'd lose them."
"Will you come and show us a good place, then, Nat?" said Fred, forScarlett was a little puzzled as to what was going on.
"Yes; I'll show you," said the gardener, who, like most of his class,was as much interested in the chance of a little fishing as the boysthemselves. So, swinging himself into the boat, he took the oars, and,to the great relief of the two lads, rowed right away towards where alittle rivulet entered the lake.
"Glad I saw what you were both going to do," continued Nat. "Only wasteof time muddling in there among the wood. You might catch a few perchor an old carp, but that would be about all."
Ten minutes later he ceased rowing in front of the mouth of the rivulet.
"There," he said; "set your lines about here, and you'll catch as manyas you want, and--breakfast-time. Let's get ashore."
CHAPTER TWELVE.
THE COLONEL'S MESSAGE.
No farther visit was paid to the passage that day; but the next, in theafternoon, the boys made their way down toward the lake, and met Nat,who approached them with rather a mysterious look on his face.
"What's the matter?" asked Scarlett.
"Ah, that's what I want to know, sir. You didn't hear it, of course,because you were out in the boat."
"Hear what?"
"Oh, I don't know, sir," said the gardener, mysteriously. "I've justcome from the kitchen, where the servants was talking about it."
"About what?"
"It, sir, it; I don't know what it is. I told 'em it was howls, but Idon't think it was. Still, if you tell maid-servants as there'ssomething wrong in the house, they'll either go out of the house or outof their skins."
"Do you know what you are talking about, Nat?"
"Yes, sir. Course I do."
"Well, then, just be a little plain, and don't go smothering your wordsup as if they were seeds that you'd put in to come up in a month. Now,then, what is it?"
"You needn't be quite so chuff with a man, Master Scarlett--a man as istrying to do his duty."
"Well, go on, then."
"I will, sir. I went into the kitchen, and the women was all talkingabout it. Her ladyship's maid was the one who heard it, yes'daymorning, before breakfast."
"Heard what?"
"Groans, sir, and cries."
"Where?"
"That's what they can't make out. All she could say was that it soundedclose to the best bedroom, and it was as if somebody was crying for helpin a weak voice, and then shouting, `Red--red!' which they think meansblood."
"Stuff and rubbish, Nat!" cried Fred, hastily.
"That's what I said to them, sir."
"Then go and tell them so again," cried Fred. "Come along, Scar; I wanta run."
He hurried his companion away, and they went off down to the lake,leaving Nat staring after them before going slowly away toward thegarden, muttering to himself--
"It's all very well," he said; "but it couldn't be howls."
"What made you hurry away so?" cried Scarlett, as they walked on, and hecame to a stop. "Let's go back and speak to my father. Something maybe wrong. How do we know? Nat--"
Fred burst out laughing.
"Why, don't you see?"
"No: what do you mean?"
"Didn't you tell me you were afraid to shout yesterday because yourvoice went echoing along the passage?"
"Yes."
"Well, what did you call?"
"Fred--Fred!"
"Well, wouldn't that sound to any one who heard it like, `Red--red'?"
"Of course," cried Scarlett, laughing. "I never thought of that."
"Now, then, which way shall we go? Straight to the mouth where thewater ran, or to the hole in the wood?"
"To the hole;" and, after taking the trouble to make quite a circuit, soas to be sure of avoiding observation, they entered the little wood,made their way to the prostrate oak, and found that the bottom of thehole was dry.
"There!" cried Scarlett, "I was right."
They dropped down, and found that by the time they had reached the endof the portion illumined by the light which came down the hole, faintrays were there to meet them from the other end, the light striking instrongly from the bottom of the walled-up entrance, and showing that thefloor which they had to follow was damp, but every drop of water haddrained away.
On reaching the end, it was quite light; and a little examination provedthat other stones at the bottom were sufficiently loose to be easilypushed out, Fred sending out a couple, which went down into deep waterat once.
"I wouldn't have done that," said Scarlett. "It's like opening a wayfor any one right into our house."
"But any one will not know the way," replied Fred, as he went down onhands and knees, and thrust out his head and shoulders. "Easy enough toget out now," he said, as he thrust the bushes aside, "only we shouldwant the boat. Water's quite deep here. Stop a moment!" he criedexcitedly, as he twisted himself round and looked up before drawing hishead back. "Why, Scar, we could climb up or down there as easily ascould be."
"Could we?"
Scarlett crept partly out in turn, and looked up for a minute or two.
"Yes," he said, as he returned, "that would be easy enough."
"Then, do you know what we have to do next?"
"No."
"Go and stop up the big hole in the wood."
Scarlett thought for a moment, and then agreed, following his companionto the opening, and climbing out in turn.
"How shall we do it?" he said.
"The rougher the better," cried Fred, who was by far the more practicalof the two. "Let's get great dead
branches, and lay them over anyhow,leaving a hole like a chimney, so as to give light. Come along; I'llshow you. The more natural the better, in case any one should comehere."
"Which is not likely," replied Scarlett.
"I don't know; Nat might. Work away."
They did work away, and with good effect. They had no