CHAPTER XVI
TRAPPED
ATHERTON stood stock still, his eyes fixed upon the small suggestivemuzzle of a revolver levelled at his head. It was horriblydisconcerting. He was unable to go forward; his movements werehampered. Nor could he retreat with the possibilities of being shotat staring him in the face.
The tension was acute whilst it lasted, but the Scout was greatlyrelieved to hear the voice of Polglaze, the detective, exclaim:
"In the name of thunder what have you Scouts been up to?"
Atherton hastened to complete the awkward crawl through the opening,the rest of his companions following.
The detective, with wonderment written on every line of his face,examined the revolving stonework, patting it with his hands andtesting the cunningly concealed mechanism.
"Well, this beats everything," he exclaimed. "I've been investigatingthis room for hours, tried the floor, walls and ceiling, and not asuspicion of a secret passage did I discover, Yet, from a logicalpoint of view, there must have been some means of escape other thanby the door, which was locked. How on earth did you fellows find thisout?"
"We walked along a tunnel from Seal Island," explained Atherton. "Itleads to the ruins in the centre of the Island. And we've found someof the booty, Mr Polglaze."
"You have?" The detective's jaw dropped slightly. Visions of asubstantial reward slipping through his fingers accounted for histone of disappointment. "Where?"
"In a side passage out of the main tunnel. There's a large silverbowl at the bottom of these steps, and each of us have smallerarticles."
One by one the Scouts placed on the table the spoons and forks theyhad discovered. Polglaze snatched one up and examined.
"Yes, that's part of Sir Silas' stuff," he announced. "Is that allyou've found?"
"Yes, sir," answered Atherton. "With the bowl, of course."
"Then there's a heap more to be recovered," said the detective. "Tellme about the tunnel."
Polglaze listened attentively and in silence to the Scout'snarrative.
"You are quite sure you examined every part of the tunnel?" he asked,when Atherton had finished. "There is no place where Tassh might hidethat you neglected to make sure of?"
"I think not, sir."
"Good. I'll inform Sir Silas."
The detective was certainly jealous of the Scouts' success, but thenews could not be withheld from the baronet. It also opened a freshchannel for the detective's energies. Since the robber's retreat wasdiscovered, the ends could be bricked up and no further attentionpaid to it. Polglaze would be free to devote his skill to thetracking of the butler on Seal Island.
Great was the astonishment of Sir Silas to find that the dust-grimedmembers of the "Otter" patrol had entered his house by a meanshitherto unknown to him.
"A remarkable thing, Polglaze," he observed. "Now I come to think ofit there is a legend to the effect that Polkerwyck monastery wasconnected with the oratory on Seal Island by a subterranean passage.I regarded it as a myth. You get the same story wherever there areany old ruins. But what an elaborate piece of work, by Jove!"
Sir Silas had closed the revolving stone. When in position it seemedexactly like a portion of the solid wall, and opening in theold-fashioned chimney corner it was rendered still more unnoticeableby the soot that clung tenaciously to the grate. "You've closed it,sir," exclaimed Atherton, unable to prevent the baronet's action. "Wedon't know how to open it from this side."
"Bless my soul, I am thoughtless!" ejaculated Sir Silas. "See whatyou can make of it, Polglaze."
The detective prised the stonework with his penknife, thrust hisshoulder against the unresisting granite, and fumbled for possiblesprings, all to no purpose. The sliding door was to all appearancespart and parcel of the wall.
"Now, Atherton, you have a shot at it," suggested Sir Silas.
The Scout did his best, but without result. He was completelybaffled.
"And there's a large silver bowl down there, sir," he remarked, "andall our lanterns too. I'll tell you what, sir: we must get back tothe Island as quickly as possible, or our Scoutmaster will beanxious. We'll let him know we're all right, and then some of us willgo through the tunnel again and open the slide from the inside. Ithink I know how to do that."
"'In the name of thunder, what have you Scouts been up to?'"--_Page_189.
"Very good," assented Sir Silas. "Only I hope you won't overtireyourselves. Polglaze, I wish you to remain here till Athertonreturns. As a temporary measure I mean to have the tunnel sealed upat both ends before to-night. Later on, when we have laid my rascallybutler by the heels, the place can be thoroughly explored bycompetent antiquarians. I have no doubt but that it will prove ofconsiderable interest to persons making a study of mediaevalarchitecture."
Atherton gave the half-salute and retired with his fellow Scouts.Once clear of the House, they broke into a Scout's pace, and sooncovered the distance between them and Polkerwyck village.
Outside the post-office they were stopped by Farmer Trebarwith, whowas bubbling over with excitement.
"Heard the news, young gentlemen? They du say that Tassh has beenseen in Bodmin, and that he has taken the train to Lunnon with a girtbox--full o' stolen silver I du say. We'm expecting news that he'sbeen apprehended as soon as he gets to his journey's end."
Atherton thanked the farmer for his information, and, excusinghimself, hastened his patrol into one of Peter Varco's boats, thatthe old fisherman obligingly lent them.
"I was beginning to wonder what had happened to you," said MrBuckley. "In fact, I was on the point of taking two of the 'Wolves'with me and following up your trail. They say that Tassh has beentraced to London, eh? Well, I hope it's true, for we shall be able tocarry out our camp routine, which from all accounts has beensubjected to interruptions of various sorts from the first day youarrived. All right, Atherton, you can go through the tunnel again.Three of you will be enough, I think. Get back as soon as you can."
The second trip through the subterranean passage was performed withalacrity, and without incident Atherton and his companions succeededin reaching the far end.
"Give a push with the end of your staff, Green," he said, pointing toa well-defined mark on the stonework where the mechanism hadpreviously been actuated.
Green pushed his pole, at first gently, then harder. It was all to nopurpose. The sliding stone seemed as immovable as it had done on theother side.
"That's strange," commented the Leader. "Bring the other lantern hereand let's see if we can find anything."
For a quarter of an hour or more Atherton prodded the stone andgroped for a concealed spring.
"We're done again, I'm afraid," he remarked. "We must retrace oursteps. Blow one of the candles out, Mayne. We've none too much left.I didn't reckon on this."
"It won't do to be stranded in this hole without a light," agreedMayne. "What about the lanterns we left behind us?"
Atherton picked up the two candle-lamps. In one there was less than aquarter of an inch. In the other there was hardly as much, and whatmade matters worse, the Scouts who took spare candles had not handedthem over to their comrades when the latter set out on their secondjourney through the tunnel.
"Back as fast as we can," ordered Atherton. "Don't wait to bring thatbowl with us. It will be quite safe here."
Lighted by the glimmer of the solitary candle, the Scouts hastened ontheir homeward way.
Presently Green called out:
"I say, Atherton. What's that noise?"
A dull swishing sound came faintly to the ears of the listeners.
"It's like a tap running," remarked Mayne. "Water running into abath, for example."
"Foot it as fast as you can," exclaimed Atherton. "It may be allright, but I fancy the water is pouring into the hollow we noticedjust this side of the place we found the silver bowl."
The three lads broke into a run, guided by the flickering light ofthe lantern. Louder and louder grew the sound of the inrush of water.
"
Steady," gasped Atherton, as his feet came in contact with thewater. "Wade through it."
He was hoping against hope. His practical eye had already noted thatthe water extended far beyond the limits of the little puddle theyhad encountered in the lowest level of the dip. This meant that theremight be five feet or more of water in the tunnel, or there might besufficient space between the surface and the top of the vaulting toenable the lads to proceed.
"What's happened, I wonder?" asked Green, who, like the other, wasknee-deep in water.
"Don't worry: keep on," enjoined the Leader. "There's no current,luckily, but let's hang on to one another in case there's a pitfall.Keep the spare pieces of candle dry, Mayne, whatever you do. I've putthe matches in my hat."
Waist deep now. The rate of progress was visibly retarded by theresistance of the water. Peering ahead, Atherton could see that atless than twenty yards from where he stood the roof of the tunnel metand dipped below the surface of the newly formed lake.
The Scouts were trapped.
"No go, lads," announced Atherton, in a cheerful tone. "We must getback to the higher level. It must be raining pretty heavily, and thewater soaks through."
"A jolly good soak, I should say," added Green. "What do you proposedoing now, Atherton?"
"Exercise patience, and have another shot at that revolving stone.It's merely a question of time and an element of luck. Besides, whenthe water begins to subside it will do so pretty rapidly, I expect."
"Why?" asked Green.
"I don't know why, unless the floor of the tunnel is very porous.Don't you remember that within twenty hours of the time that Tasshwas unable to leave Seal Island he was back again by means of thispassage?"
"That's so," agreed Green, stooping to wring the moisture out of hisshorts. "How's the candle going, Atherton?"
"It will last us a bit," replied the Leader; but he knew that in lessthan an hour at the outside their whole supply of candle ends wouldbe consumed.
"Let's shout altogether," suggested Mayne, after they had returned tothe top of the spiral staircase and had made another unsuccessfulattempt to discover the secret of the mechanism of the revolvingstone.
The Scouts gave a united yell. The echoes rang in their ears, but noanswering sound came from the other side of the baffling granitewall.
"Look here, you fellows," said Atherton, "it's no use our waitinghere on the off chance of some one opening the door or whatever youcall it, from the inside. One of us ought to stand by and watch forthe water to subside. Who's game?"
"It will mean that one of us will have to be in the dark," observedMayne gloomily. "I'm not frightened of the dark, of course, but it'spretty miserable sticking about by yourself in a pitch-black hole."
"That's so," agreed Green. "I vote we all keep together."
"That won't do for me, lads," said Atherton. "I'll go. You keepwhat's left of the candle. When I find the level is sinking I'llshout and let you know. This tunnel is like a giant voice-tube:you'll hear me plainly enough."
"Oh, I'll go if you want," said Mayne, somewhat shamefacedly.
"Or I will," added Green.
"You'll jolly well stop here. Take half of these matches. Keep ontrying, and perhaps you'll find the secret of the opening after all."
So saying, Atherton felt his way down the steps, and began hissolitary progress along the tunnel. On and on he went, feeling therough wall with his hand and methodically counting the number ofpaces he took.
At the five hundred and twentieth step his foot splashed into thewater. The Scout halted, struck a match and examined the rock closeto the surface of the pool. It was fairly dry.
"That means the water is still rising," thought the Leader. "I'lldraw a line in the dust, and look again in five minutes' time, justto make sure."
Taking a piece of twine from his pocket, Atherton measured off asnear as he could guess a length slightly exceeding a yard. To one endhe attached his knife. Holding the other end in his hand, the Scoutallowed the weighted string to swing.
"A pendulum thirty-nine inches in length swings one every second," hesaid to himself. "This ought to be near enough for my purpose."
He waited till the knife had swung three hundred times--it seemedmore like an hour than five minutes,--then, striking another match,he examined the mark he had made on the ground. It was already on thepoint of being covered. The water was still rising.
"Cheerful," he remarked. "After all, there is no danger, it's onlythe discomfort, and all true Scouts make light of trivial matterslike this. It's another all-night business: that's my opinion."
"Atherton!" shouted Green, his voice rumbling down the tube-likepassage.
"Hulloa?"
"Our light's gone out. Is the water falling?"
Atherton struck a match.
"I'm sorry to say it isn't," he shouted in reply.
"Then it's no use waiting there. Come back to us. It's mighty coldand we're precious hungry."
"I can't feed you, Green, and if you're cold jump about a bit andflap your arms. I'll be with you soon."
After giving this advice, Atherton began to walk along the nowfamiliar tunnel. Ere he had covered a hundred paces he was surprisedby the sound of a sharp detonation, followed by shouts of alarm onthe part of his two comrades.
"What's up?" hailed Atherton.
The shouting still continued, but the anxious Scout could makeneither head nor tail of what was being said. Presently a strongcurrent of air, followed by the pungent fumes of powder, drifted downthe tunnel.
Gasping, Atherton tied his scarf over his mouth, and dashed as hardas he could through the inky darkness, keeping his left hand on thewall to guide him. Stumbling over the silver bowl at the foot of thestairs was the first intimation he received of the fact that he hadreached the end of the passage.
Then, as he mounted the spiral stairs, to his utter relief he heardMr Buckley's voice calling him by name.
Removing his scarf, Atherton gave a reassuring answer.
"Thank heaven, you're safe!" replied the Scoutmaster, as Athertonemerged through an irregularly shaped hole that took the place of thenarrow opening into the butler's room.
"And Mayne and Green?"
"They're all right, only a bit shaken up."
In the room, in addition to Mr Buckley, were Sir Silas Gwinnear,Polglaze the detective, and a gentleman whom Atherton had not seenbefore, and who was a mining engineer for one of the neighbouring"wheals" or mines, and three workmen.
"We knew something was amiss," explained the Scoutmaster. "Soon afteryou descended the tunnel for the second time it came on to pour withrain. Phillips suggested to me the danger of one portion of thepassage being filled with water, and he and I going down found thisto be the case, and that your retreat was cut off, unless yousucceeded in turning the revolving stone.
"Thinking that there was a chance of your not being able to do so,Phillips and I made our way across the mainland, and on to PolkerwyckHouse.
"We found the secret opening still remained fast closed. We hammeredat it, tried crowbars, and did everything to attract your attention.Green tells me you never heard a sound."
"We made as much row as we could, sir," said Atherton. "The wallsmust be practically soundproof."
"I should say they are not soundproof now," continued Mr Buckley. "OnSir Silas's advice we sent to Polkarnis Mine for some men accustomedto the use of explosives, and this gentleman--Mr Copperas, theelectrical works' manager--kindly came over to give his technicalassistance."
"Yes, it's a wonder we didn't do more harm," added Mr Copperas."Since we heard no sounds from within we naturally concluded that thethree of you were farther along the tunnel. However, all's well thatends well, and your two chums have been through an experience I neverwish to meet with: standing within a few feet of five pounds ofgun-cotton when it exploded."
"Now, Atherton, we must be making a move," declared the Scoutmaster."It will soon be dark, and you've had a couple of very trying days."
"How about
the silver bowl, sir?" said the Scout, who had alreadynoticed the signs of preparations of bricking up the gap. "I'll getit if you like."
"Don't worry about that, Atherton," interposed Sir Silas. "Get a goodnight's rest. You can have a bed here if you wish."
"No, thank you, sir," replied Atherton. "I think I shall sleep prettysoundly in camp."
"As you like," said the baronet. "I'll see that the bowl is broughtout. Mr Copperas and I have a wish to have a look at this remarkabletunnel before it is actually sealed."
"Any further news of Tassh, sir?" asked Atherton, as, accompanied bythe five "Otters," the Scoutmaster started at a brisk walk towardsPolkerwyck.
"Nothing, save that the police hope to effect his arrest in London.As far as we are concerned I think the Scouts have finished with thebusiness. It will give us a chance to settle down to a less strenuousholiday."