the oak wainscot, guttering down rapidly, andburning a long, channel-like hole in the woodwork, which was pouringforth smoke, and would in a few minutes have become serious.
As it was, a little presence of mind was sufficient to avert the danger.The candle was removed, and a handkerchief pressed against thesmouldering wainscot stifled the tiny fire, while the windows beingopen, the pale blue smoke soon evaporated, and the candle was leftsecurely now as the lads re-entered the hall and carefully closed thedoor once more.
"We should have looked nice if the old hall had been burned down," saidFred.
"Oh, nonsense!" was the reply. "The place is too strong and full of oakand stone. The hall couldn't be burned. Here, it's of no use waitingany longer; she will not come down. Let's go out in the garden."
Fred glanced at the stairs, and followed his companion unwillingly; butno sooner were they outside than Scar called his companion's attentionto the bedroom window, where the maid in question was leaning out,watching Nat Lee, as he slowly did his work.
The girl caught sight of the two lads, drew back, and as they waited inthe great porch they had the satisfaction of hearing her go back, alongthe corridor, closing the door at the end.
"Now, Fred," said Scarlett, excitedly, "we're safe at last." He dashedup the stairs and slipped the bolt of the door through which the maidhad just passed, and returned to the top of the stairs. "Come along,"he whispered. "Don't stand there. Bring the light."
Fred ran to the great closet and obtained the burning candle. Thebaluster was twisted; there was the familiar _crick-crack_; the loosestep was thrust back, and the boys stood looking into the long box-likeopening.
"Wouldn't it be safer to fasten the front door too?" said Fred in awhisper.
"Yes, and be quick," replied his companion in the same low, excitedmanner.
Fred ran down, closed the great oaken door, ran a ponderous bolt intoits receptacle, and again joined his companion.
"Now then," whispered Scarlett, "what shall we do?"
As he spoke he knelt down and thrust the candle in as far as he couldreach, disclosing the fact that this was no rough back to the staircase,but a smooth, carefully finished piece of work.
"Shall we try if we can creep in?" suggested Fred.
"I hardly like to; but if you will, I will."
"I will," replied Fred, laconically.
"But how are we to get in? It isn't deep enough to crawl."
"Tell you what," cried Fred, "I think the way is to lie down in it andthen roll along. There's plenty of room that way."
"Will you try?"
"If you'll come after me."
"Go on, then."
Fred hesitated a few moments, and then holding the candle as far forwardas he could he lay down, but instead of rolling, shuffled himself alongunder the landing, finding plenty of room for his journey, and pushingthe light onward as he crept sidewise.
"Coming, Scar?" he whispered rather hoarsely.
"Yes, I'm coming. Mind the candle doesn't set fire to anything. What'sthat?"
"Only a cobweb burning. The place is full of them; and--Oh, Scar!"
"What is it?"
"I can get my legs down here, and--yes, it's a narrow passage, and I canstand upright."
Wondering more and more, Scarlett shuffled along to his companion, anddirectly after they were standing together in a passage so strait thatthey could barely pass along it as they stood square, their shouldersnearly touching the sides.
"Yes, it's a passage, sure enough," said Scarlett, in an awe-strickenwhisper, as by the light Fred held he could see that the sides andceiling were of rough oak panelling, the floor being flagged with stone.
"Shall we go on?" whispered Fred.
"Yes. Why not? You're not afraid, are you?"
"Yes, a little. It's all so strange. Don't you feel a little--"
"Yes, just a little; but there can't be any thing to be afraid of. Youmust go first."
Fred hesitated a few moments, and then went on for quite forty feet,when the narrow passage turned off at a right angle for about anothertwenty, when it again bent sharply round in the same direction as atfirst.
"This cannot be a chimney?" whispered Scarlett, for the darkness andheavy dusty air seemed to oppress them.
"No; they wouldn't make a chimney of wainscotting. Oh!"
"What have you found?"
"Look here; a lot of stone steps."
The boys stood looking at the old stone stairway, which seemed to invitethem to a higher region, but still as narrow as the passage.
The stones were dusty, and cobwebs hung in all directions; buteverything seemed as if it had been unused ever since the architect putthe finishing touches to the place.
The two boys looked at the stairway, Fred holding up the candle, andScar peering over his shoulder for some moments before the former spoke.
"Think we'd better go back now."
"Yes," said Scarlett; "only doesn't it seem cowardly?"
Fred remained silent for a while, and then said with a sigh--
"I suppose it does. Come on."
"Are you going up?"
"Yes. I don't want to. It's all so dark and creepy; but we shouldlaugh at each other for being frightened when we got out."
Scar nodded his head, and after a little more hesitation, Fred wentslowly up the stairs, to find that from the top another narrow passagewent off at right angles.
As they stood together on the narrow landing, Scar exclaimed--
"Here, I know. These are only openings through the thick walls to keepthem dry."
"Look!" said Fred, pointing before them at a thin pencil of light whichmade a spot on the wall.
"That's sunshine," cried Scarlett, "and shows what I said. This is oneof the walls we are in, and that must be the south."
"Why?" said Fred, trying to touch the slit through which the light came.
"Because the sun shines in. Let's go on to the end."
This was soon reached, for at the end of a dozen steps they came upon anarrow door studded with great nails, and after a little hesitation,Fred pushed this, and the boys started back at the hideous groan whichgreeted them.
CHAPTER THREE.
HOW THE LIGHT WAS EXTINGUISHED.
There was something very strange and weird about that sound--one whichsent a chill of horror through both the hearers, but they laughed thenext moment at their fears, for the noise was only such as could begiven out by a pair of rusty hinges from which an unused door had hungfor a hundred years, the sound being rendered more startling from thehollow space beyond.
Fred felt more startled than ever, in spite of his forced laugh; but heheld the candle before him, and gazed through the narrow opening into alittle low-ceiled room, panelled throughout with oak, and festooned withcobwebs, while on one side there was quite a cluster of long, thin,white-looking strands and leaves hanging over and resting upon a heap ofcrumbling, fungus-covered sticks.
"Why, it's quite a little chamber," Scarlett exclaimed; "and look at theivy. It has come in through that loop-hole."
"And look at that old jackdaw's nest. I say, Scar, can your father knowof this place?"
"No, nor any one else. But it is queer. A regular secret chamber."
"Yes, but what's it for?"
"I don't know. Must have been made when the house was built to keep theplate in for fear of robbers."
"Look at the spiders! There's a big one!"
"Yes, but I'm trying to puzzle out where it is. I know. It must besomewhere at the west corner, because that's where there is most ivy."
"But is it upstairs or downstairs?"
"Up, of course; and look here."
Scarlett pointed to what had at first escaped their sight--to wit, asecond door, ingeniously contrived in one angle of the little chamber,and in the dim light shed by the candle hardly distinguishable from thepanelling.
"Where can that go?"
"Oh, it's only a cupboard. Stop a moment."
&nb
sp; Scarlett went to the other side, crushing down the heap of rotten twigsbrought in by the birds, and thrust his hand amongst the mass of sicklyivy strands, to find that the opening through which they came wascompletely choked up, but after a little feeling about he was able toannounce that there was a narrow slit-like window, with an upright rustyiron bar.
"Why, it will be glorious, Scar," cried Fred. "Let's clear the placeout, and cut away the ivy, and then we can keep it all a secret."
"Yes, and bring some furniture--chairs and table, and a carpet. Why, wemight have a bed too."
"How