CHAPTER VII.
SURROUNDED BY ENEMIES.
Although the two men had got past Matt, nevertheless he followed themto the end of the passage, arriving just in time to see them disappearthrough the opening and close the aperture with the slab.
Only two went out. What had become of Sercomb? Had Ferral and Carlcaptured him--catching him red-handed and so unmasking his treachery?
In any event, Ferral and Carl had proven more than a match for the twomiscreants who had stolen in upon them. Thankful that the affair hadturned out so fortunately for his friends, although still mystifiedas to what Sercomb's purpose was, Matt groped his way back along thecorridor and mounted the steps.
It was a long flight--much longer than the one at the other end of thepassage--and, at the top, Matt was confronted by a blank wall. He ranhis hands over it, and, in so doing, must have touched a spring, for asection of the wall slid back and a sudden glow of lamplight blindedhim.
"Ach, du lieber!" came the astounded voice of Carl. "Dere vas Matt, pychincher! Vere you come from, hey?"
Matt stepped from the head of the steps into the room in which Ferraland Carl had been sleeping. The panel closed noiselessly behind him.
"Sink me!" muttered Ferral, stepping past Matt to run his hands overthe wall. "A nice little trap-door in the wall, or I'm a Fiji!" Hewhirled around. "How does it come you stepped through it, messmate?"
"Where's Sercomb?" whispered Matt, peering around.
"What's he got to do with this?"
Just at that moment Sercomb's voice came up from below.
"What's going on up there? Anything happened, Dick?"
"Two men came in and made trouble for us!" shouted Matt. "Didn't youhear 'em run down the stairs?"
"No, I didn't hear anybody!" answered Sercomb.
"Take a look around, and we'll see what we can find up here."
During this brief colloquy, Ferral and Carl were staring at Matt inopen-mouthed astonishment.
Matt whirled to Ferral.
"Not a word to Sercomb about that hole in the wall," he whispered."Tell me quick, what happened in here?"
"I was sleeping full and by, forty knots," answered Ferral, in thesame low tone, "when I felt myself grabbed. It was dark as Egypt, andI couldn't see a thing. I shouted to Carl, and we had it touch and go,here in the dark. My eye, but it was a scrimmage! Right in the midst ofit the fellows we were fighting melted away. I had just got the glim togoing when you stepped in on us."
"Wasn't Sercomb in the fight?"
"Why, no. He must have been down-stairs, sleeping like a log. He onlyjust chirped--you heard him."
"Well, Sercomb came into this room with two other men, through thathole in the wall----"
"Is that right?" demanded Ferral, his face hardening.
"Yes, but don't say a word about it. Wait till we find out what hisgame is."
"How dit you know all dot, Matt?" queried Carl.
Briefly as he could Matt sketched his recent experiences. Theastonishing recital left his two friends gasping.
"The old hunks!" breathed Ferral, scowling. "I can smoke hisweather-roll, fast enough. What did I tell you about the soft-sawderingbeggar?"
Matt stepped into the hall and listened. Apparently, Sercomb was notin the house. Coming back, he pulled his two friends close together sothey could hear him without his speaking above a whisper.
"Sercomb has gone out to hurry up the repairs on the big car and getit out of the way. We can talk a little, but we've got to be wary.Don't let Sercomb know anything about this clue I've picked up. We'resurrounded by enemies, Ferral, and you're the object of some sort ofgame they've got on. By lying low, perhaps we can get wise to it."
"Dot shpook auto has dook a hant in der pitzness," murmured Carl,flashing a fearful glance around. "I don'd like dot fery goot."
"This spook business will all be explained, Carl," said Matt, "andyou'll find that flesh and blood is mixed up in the whole of it.That white runabout put a shot into one of the tires of that bigtouring-car, and no revolver ever went off without a human hand backof it. We know, too, how those men got away from that room where theywere playing cards. They ran in here, got through the hole in the walland went out by way of the tunnel. That shot that was fired at you,Dick, and put out the lamp, must have come from this room, just beforeSercomb and the others dodged through the wall."
"Sercomb?" echoed Ferral.
"Sure! It's a cinch he was playing cards in that room with the threemen. He came here from Denver, and he must have traveled in that bigcar and brought the others with him."
"Oh, he's the nice boy!" commented Ferral sarcastically. "A finecousin, that swab is! That phantom flugee is mixing in the game. Iwonder if Sercomb has anything to do with that?"
"No. When the phantom auto showed up in the road, Sercomb and all threeof the others were scared nearly out of their wits. I'll bet that wasthe first time Sercomb ever saw it. Besides, the bullet that piercedthe tire of the big car came from the runabout. That wouldn't havehappened if the runabout was here to help Sercomb's plans."
"Right-o. What kind of a bally old place is this, anyhow? Holes in thewall, tunnels, and all that--it fair dazes me. What could Uncle Jackhave wanted of a secret passage?"
"Didn't you tell me that this was an old Mexican house, and that youruncle bought it?" asked Matt.
"That's how he got hold of the place, matey."
"Then it must have come into his hands like we find it. The Mexicansused to build queer houses; I found that out while I was down inPhoenix."
Matt turned away and took a look at the walls. They were wainscoted incedar, all around. Every little way there were panels, and the entranceto the passage, which Matt had recently used, was by a panel.
"The walls of these adobe houses are always thick," went on Matt, "butthese walls are even thicker than common. There's room in this wall forthat stairway, and no one would ever suspect the wall is hollow, simplybecause it's made of adobe."
"How does the door work?" queried Ferral, stepping to the wainscotingand trying to manipulate the panel. "I'd like to know how to get thecover off the blooming hatch; the knowledge might come handy."
Along the wainscoting, about five feet from the floor, were arrangedclothes-hooks. Matt, helping Ferral hunt for the secret spring thatoperated the panel, pulled on one of the hooks. Instantly the panelslid open, answering the pull on the hook with weird silence.
"Chiminy grickets!" murmured Carl, stepping back. "Dot looks like dervay to der infernal blace."
Ferral stepped forward as though he would pass through the opening, butMatt caught his arm and held him back.
"Don't go down there now, Ferral," said he. "When Sercomb comes we wanthim to find us here. He doesn't guess that I'm next to what he's doneto-night, and none of his confederates know it. If we keep mum, theknowledge may do us a lot of good. If we try to face him down with it,we'll only show him our hands without accomplishing anything."
"The sneaking lubber!" growled Ferral. "Why, he berthed us in this roomso he and his mates could sneak in on us while we were asleep. But,"and here Ferral rubbed his chin perplexedly, "what did they want to dothat for?"
"We'll find out," returned Matt, "if we play our cards right."
"You're the lad to discover things," said Ferral admiringly. "I neverhad a notion you were going to slip out of the house when you left us."
"And I never had a notion what I was going to drop into," said Matt, "Ican promise you that. But it is a tip-top clue, and we'll be foolish ifwe don't use it for all it's worth."
"You've started off in handsome style! Your head-work makes me feellike a green hand and a lubber."
"Dot's Matt, Verral," declared Carl, puffing up like a turkey-cock."He alvays does t'ings in hantsome shdyle, you bed you. He iss derlucky feller to tie to, dot's righdt. I know, pecause I haf tied to himmeinseluf, und I haf peen hafing luck righdt along efer since, yah,so. Be jeerful, eferypody, und oof der shpooks leaf us alone, ve villall come oudt
oof der horn py der pig end. But vat makes Sercomb actlike dot?"
"He wants Uncle Jack's property," scowled Ferral, "and I'll wagerthat's what he's working for."
"But how can he be working for it when he's already got it?" put inMatt. "He claims to have found your uncle, and to have secured thewill."
"That's his speak-easy for it. He's a long-winded grampus, and can talkthe length of the best bower, but that don't mean that there's anytruth in all his wig-wagging."
"Now you're hitting the high gear without any lost motion," saidMatt. "Between you and me and the spark-plug, Dick, I don't think heever found your uncle; and, as for the will, if he really has it, andeverything's left to him, what's all this underhand work for?"
A sudden thought came to Ferral.
"Say," he whispered hoarsely, "do you think that sneaking cur couldhave handed out any foul play to Uncle Jack? I hate to think it of him,but----"
"No," answered Matt gravely, "I don't think----"
He was interrupted by some one coming in at the front door, and stoppedabruptly.
"There's Sercomb now," he whispered. "Let's hear what he's got to sayfor himself. Mind you don't let out anything about my clue. When youhad your trouble, I ran in here from the other room and lent a hand."
"Are you up there?" came Sercomb's voice. "I can't find a soul aboutthe place."
From the road the boys could hear the muffled pounding of a motor. Andthey knew, even as Sercomb spoke, that he was not telling the truth.