Under the Castle.
"Wait a minute, let me get my shoes on!" protested Jimmie.
"Aw, never mind your shoes!" urged Jack. "We can't wait!"
"Better let Jimmie put on his shoes," agreed Ned. "We won't want to
leave anything here. Let's take all our belongings!"
"Why, where are you going, Ned?" asked Jimmie busy with the lacings of
his shoes. "Aren't you coming back here?"
"Not if my suspicions are correct!" replied Ned.
"What! Going to get out and make for the Grey Eagle and hike out for
Berlin?" questioned the lad incredulously.
"That's just what I plan on doing! You see, it's like this," explained
Ned. "As we came up here I noticed that this rambling old building
seems to have been built at different periods. Part is in good repair,
but part has almost fallen down. The Germans in shelling the place
added to the dilapidated condition of the older section. On the north
side a large portion of the older structure is in ruins."
"I see," interrupted Jimmie. "And when this secret door opened up, you
figured that we could go down into the basement and find a passageway
leading to the ruined old part that has been knocked to pieces. Then
if there's a hole between the two we may be able to crawl out into
daylight and be on our way before these fellows get wise to the game."
"Exactly," agreed Ned. "Now let's go carefully and keep quiet. There's
no knowing whether we shall get out or not, but there's no need of
disturbing these fellows in either case. Get your searchlights ready."
"But, Ned," protested Jack, "didn't this officer say he'd do all he
could for us? Don't you think he'll keep his word?"
"It is not his disposition I question," Ned replied, "so much as his
ability. I don't know how much influence he has."
"Guess you're right," put in Jimmie. "Let's be on our way, and get back
to the little old Grey Eagle. This bed's fine, but I'd prefer sleeping
on the ground under our own airship to being here."
Carefully throwing the rays of their searchlights on the floor of the
passageway the boys silently stepped through the small door which had
been found by such a peculiar accident.
After entering the passage Ned turned to examine the mechanism that
operated the section of wall, and without any difficulty discovered
what he sought. After a moment's careful scrutiny the lad touched a
part of the apparatus and was highly pleased to notice the door swing
back into place. Not a sound except the slight humming of the motor
accompanied the operation. The device worked perfectly.
"Now, how can we get out again in case we have to come back?"
questioned Harry uneasily. "You've got us in here for keeps!"
"That's easy," declared Ned confidently. "All that is necessary is
to touch the lever completing the circuit and the motor operates. It
doesn't make any difference whether the circuit is completed from the
room or from this passageway. The motor operates when the circuit is
closed."
"Where does the juice come from?" asked Jimmie, frankly puzzled. "They
can't run motors and things without electricity!"
"Maybe the fellow that lived here had a private plant!"
"Maybe he did, but what keeps it running now that he's gone?"
"I don't know, I'm sure. Let's not worry about that!"
Cautiously proceeding along the passageway a short distance, the boys
came to a flight of rude stairs cut into the wall. There was but little
room on the narrow steps, and if they had not been guided by the flame
from their electric torches they must have suffered a fall.
Beyond the stairs lay a black opening from which came a damp, musty
odor. Jimmie sniffed distrustfully and shook his head.
"Come back, Ned," he urged. "You're going to the slaughter house where
the old Duke kept pigs and things!"
"No, don't go back yet!" protested Jack. "Let's push on and see what
there is ahead. Maybe Ned's conjecture is correct!"
Without further parley Ned took a few steps along the passage until he
came to a turn. Here he paused to wait for his companions.
"Look here, boys," he announced. "This passage splits. One goes
straight ahead and the other turns to the left. I fancy that one runs
back toward the rising ground at the rear of the castle."
"Then we don't want to take that," decided Harry.
"If we go straight ahead," Ned continued, "I figure that we shall come
out near the wrecked portion of the building."
"Straight on, then," spoke up Jack, and as this seemed to be the
decision of all, Ned turned to proceed.
A tremendous splash mingled with a choking cry from the leader. Ned
was floundering about in water, throwing showers of spray over his
companions, who came crowding forward, all excitement.
"What's the matter, Ned?" cried Jack. "Do you need help?"
As he spoke he turned the shaft of light from his electric toward his
chum, revealing the lad dripping wet, standing in water a little more
than knee deep. His hat and torch were gone.
"Come out of that!" commanded Jimmie, laughing.
"Guess I will, thank you," replied Ned. "I failed to see that water
until I was in it. The rock is so black and the water runs so smoothly
I neither saw nor heard it."
Examination revealed a stream of water issuing from the tunnel to the
left and flowing along the one in which they now found themselves. At
one side a narrow shelf afforded foothold.
After securing Ned's searchlight which, owing to its waterproof
covering, was not damaged, the boys proceeded more cautiously.
In a short time they found the passage partly blocked by huge masses
of stone, evidently the remains of masonry dislodged by the invaders'
shells. A faint odor of powder clung to the place.
"Here's where the opening to the old portion of the castle was located,
or I'm no good guesser!" ventured Jimmie.
Although careful search was made for an opening none was discovered,
and the party continued along the tunnel-like place. Directly Ned
paused and held out a warning hand, stopping the advance.
"I heard a noise," he explained, "and could not make out what it might
be. Can any of you tell what that noise is?"
Listening carefully, the boys distinctly heard a whirring rumble, but
could not determine its cause nor what it indicated.
"Oh, I've got it!" gleefully announced Jimmie directly. "The Duke
de Wun Lung had nothing else to do, so he installed his own power
plant! This stream of water comes from a spring in the hill back there
somewhere, and the old chap just led it along here. It runs through a
water wheel, and the waste water runs out a nice little hole in the
cellar wall! Pity he didn't put in a ram and have water in the house!"
"I believe you're right, Jimmie!" agreed Ned. "Let's see!"
Following the passage a short distance, the boys discovered that
Jimmie's guess had been correct. A complete apparatus was found,
operated by the power of the stream flowing through the tunnel.
"But that doesn't help us any," Harry protested. "There is no opening
to the outside world except for the water!"
"Let's go along back and look over the walls more carefully," offered
Francois. "Maybe we overlooked an opening in the hurry!"
Accordingly the boys slowly retraced their steps, examining every inch
of the walls. Shortly after passing the place where Ned had fallen into
the current of water, Jimmie, who had been in the lead, turned back
with a muffled hiss. He snapped the switch on his searchlight.
"What is it, Jimmie?" queried Jack, following the leader.
"I see a light in the passage!" replied Jimmie. "It flickers like a
candle light and seems to be dodging about.
"Maybe it's the Duke's private ghost!" whispered Jack with a grin.
"Hush!" hissed Jimmie. "Cut out that nonsense!"
Proceeding cautiously, the boys indeed saw a faint reflection on the
side wall. In a moment they heard voices.
The light came from a small opening about shoulder high. Through this
opening also came the sound of conversation. In an instant Jimmie was
peering through the hole. He dropped back shaking with excitement.
"Guess who the ghosts are!" he gritted in a whisper. "You'd never
believe it! The Rat and our old friend Hungry are in there!"
Astonished, the boys crept carefully to the opening to peer through
and to listen. It was as Jimmie had said. The Rat and the man who had
followed the boys in New York were standing near the middle of a small
apartment. On the floor sputtered and flickered a candle.
As the boys gathered about the opening The Rat was speaking.
"----And so," the boys heard, "I settled for the red head. No person
could survive a fall like that. But they got us after all, by shooting
into the machinery. We had to land. Then the soldiers got me and
brought me here. I'm mighty glad you happened to show up!"
"Yes," replied the one whom the boys had named "Hungry," "I felt you'd
want me. After landing at Antwerp I made good time, but I was surprised
when they nipped me and put me in here with you!"
"Now," continued The Rat, "they're waiting the arrival of some high
officer, so they can have a trial. The boys will get theirs. Maybe I'll
be searched, and I don't want them to find this package."
As he spoke he drew from its place of concealment at his waist a flat
package about the size of a long business envelope.
"What I want you to do is to carry this for me until after the
examination is over," The Rat went on. "I think you'd better let me
hang it down your back. It will be out of the way there!"
Intently the boys watched the adjustment of the flat package. Ned
greedily eyed every movement, with fingers itching to get possession of
the parcel. However, he knew that the opening through which they peered
was too small for him to negotiate, and it was out of the question to
expect The Rat to hand him the envelope. Again The Rat spoke:
"Now, if my story goes with this new man, and they hold the boys and
let us go, we'll be all right. If, however, they decide to let the
boys go and hold us, I'll have this dynamite handy in my pocket," here
he indicated his coat pocket, which bulged suspiciously, "and at a
favorable moment I'll throw it. If I can get Ned Nestor, so much the
better. The red head is out of the way, and that'll settle the two who
are most dangerous. In the excitement, we'll slip through the crowd."
"Good scheme!" agreed Hungry. "And you say your pilot is at work
repairing the damage to the machine?"
"He claimed that he would be able to repair it in an hour. He will wait
for me at the spot I described to you. I rely upon him!"
"And then we'll be off! There's a market for the plans?"
"I should say there is!" declared The Rat. "Three different governments
are dickering for them right now! We'll make our pile on this!"
"When is this officer expected to arrive?"
"Any minute now. He's late, as it is. Now, don't give yourself away!
Just stick close to me and remember the arrangements!"
Jimmie tugged at Ned's sleeve. Turning away from the opening, the boys
returned quickly toward the room in which they had been placed for rest
and safe keeping. Ned easily found the lever to operate their secret
door and the lads passed again into the chamber.
As Jack closed the door with the short length of wire, Jimmie said:
"Well, you see, boys, I'm a dead one! Won't The Rat be shocked?"
"Yes, and I'm about the same!" replied Ned soberly. "That fellow
certainly is a rascal. He's planning on dynamiting me!"
"No, he isn't," protested Jimmie. "He's planning on a fiasco or my
dream book is wrong. Remember your motto, Scout, and 'Be Prepared'!
We'll give him a mighty big surprise when the time comes!"
"Thank you, Jimmie," replied Ned, smiling faintly.
A soldier was rapping on the door.
"The young gentlemen are wanted by the court," he announced.