In most times of danger, perplexity, or peril, d.i.c.k relied solely on himself and his own resources; now, however, having Frank at hand, he turned to him.
"Is there any chance for us to escape?"
"Boys," said Merry, "we must not think of giving up until we have made every effort in our power. The first thing to be done is to sound the walls. You can help me in this. Go around the walls, rapping on them and listening. See if you can find a hollow place. This is not the donjon, and it may have been originally intended for something different from a prison room."
Directed by him, they set about their task, sounding the walls. Hopeless enough it seemed as they went knocking, knocking through the darkness.
When the room had been circled once and no discovery made, Buckhart seemed quite ready to give up the effort in that direction. Frank was not satisfied, but continued feeling his way along the walls, rapping and listening as he went. Finally he remained a long time in one place, which aroused the curiosity of his boy comrades.
"Have you discovered anything?" asked d.i.c.k.
Before replying Merry struck a match.
"Here, boys," he said, "you will see there is a crack in the wall. That may be the cause of the hollow sound I fancied it gave. But, look!" he added, holding the match high above his head, "see how the crack widens as it rises toward the ceiling. By Jove, boys! it"s almost wide enough up there for a cat to get through."
Then the match burned too short to be held longer, and he dropped it.
Several moments he stood in silence, paying no heed to the words of d.i.c.k or Brad. His mind was busy. Finally he said:
"Get up here, boys, both of you. Face this wall and stand close together. I want to climb on your shoulders. I am going to examine that crack. It may be our only hope of salvation."
They followed instructions, and Merry mounted to their shoulders, on which he stood. In this manner he was high enough to reach some distance into the crack in the wall. He found nothing but crumbling bits of cement and stone, which was a disappointment to him.
"Keep your heads down," he said. "I am going to see if I can loosen some of this outer coat of cement here. It may rattle down about your ears."
He pulled away at the cement, cleaving it off easily and exposing the fact that the wall was somewhat shabbily built above a distance of eight feet from the floor. An earthquake or convulsion of nature, or whatever had caused the crack in the wall, had seriously affected it, and it seemed very shaky and unstable indeed.
Several times he shifted about on the boys" shoulders to give them rest, as his heavy boots were rather painful after remaining in one position a few moments. They were eager to know what progress he was making.
"I can"t tell what it amounts to, boys," he declared. "This crack may lead nowhere, even if I can make an opening large enough to enter."
At length he was compelled to descend in order to give them a chance to rest. Three times he mounted on their shoulders and worked at the cement and stones until the skin of his fingers was torn and his hands bleeding. He was making progress, nevertheless, and it seemed more and more apparent that, if given time enough, an opening might be made there at that height in the wall. In his final efforts he loosened a ma.s.s of the stuff, that suddenly gave way and went rattling and rumbling down into the wall somewhere. To his intense satisfaction, this left a hole large enough for a human being to creep into.
"Brace hard, boys," he whispered. "I am going to make a venture here. I am going to crawl into this place."
"Be careful, Frank!" palpitated d.i.c.k. "What if you get in there and the old wall crumbles on you! You will be buried alive! You will be smothered, and killed!"
"Better that than starvation in this wretched hole," he half laughed.
"We will have to take chances if we ever escape at all. Steady now."
They stiffened their bodies, and he gave a little spring, diving into the opening as far as he could and slowly wiggling and dragging himself forward. In this manner he gradually crept into it, although it was no simple matter. There was barely room enough for him to accomplish this feat, and when it was done he lay still a few moments to rest. As he lay thus he heard some of the stones and cement rattling and falling beneath him, and felt the whole wall seem to settle. His heart leaped into his throat, for it seemed, indeed, that he was about to be smothered and crushed to death in that place. Still he did not retreat. Instead of that, he squirmed and crawled forward as fast as possible. Suddenly a ma.s.s of the wall came down upon his back and shoulders, and he was pinned fast.
Trying to squirm forward still farther, he found himself held as if in the jaws of a vise, and never in his adventurous career had his position seemed more desperate and helpless. Dust filled his eyes and nostrils, and he seemed smothered.
Summoning all his wonderful strength, Merry made a mighty effort.
Suddenly, as he did so, the wall beneath him seemed to give way, and downward he fell, amid showers of stones and cement, which rained upon him. He had fallen into some sort of open s.p.a.ce, and, although somewhat dazed and stunned, he quickly crept forward to escape the falling ma.s.s of stuff. In this he was successful, and, although the air of the place seemed dense and stifling, he was practically uninjured.
As soon as possible, he sought to learn what kind of a place he had dropped into so unexpectedly. There were yet a few matches left in his match safe, and one of these he lighted. Its light showed him a small, narrow pa.s.sage, leading away he knew not where. Behind him there was a ma.s.s of fallen debris where the top of the pa.s.sage had caved in. Even then still more was threatening to fall, and he quickly moved away.
"I have heard of secret pa.s.sages in old castles and mansions," Frank muttered, "and this must be one of them. Where will it lead me? It must take me somewhere, and this is better than remaining in the chamber where we were trapped."
For a long time he felt his way cautiously onward along the pa.s.sage. He came in time to its end. His hand could feel nothing but the bare stones, and it seemed that the pa.s.sage terminated there. Once more he struck a match, the light of which revealed to him nothing of an encouraging nature.
"Well," he said, "I seem to be in a trap still. It can"t be possible this was simply a blind pa.s.sage. Why was it constructed? There must be some way of getting out of it."
Again at the end of the pa.s.sage he fell to sounding the wall and listening. His hands roamed over it, feeling every protrusion or irregularity. Finally he touched something that was loose. Immediately he pressed it with considerable vigor, upon which there was a faint m.u.f.fled click, and a heavy door that had been skillfully covered by cement swung slowly against his hands.
Frank"s wonderful command of his nerves kept him from uttering an exclamation of satisfaction. He quickly seized the edge of the door and pulled it wide open. Fresh air rushed in upon him, and he filled his lungs with a sensation of satisfaction and relief.
He now thought of returning and seeking to a.s.sist d.i.c.k and Brad in following him, but after a few moments he decided to investigate still further. Soon he found himself on a high terrace, which opened into an inclosed courtyard of the ruins. As he leaned there, looking down, the ring of ironshod hoofs came through the arched gate, reaching his ears.
A moment later two hors.e.m.e.n rode into the courtyard, leading behind them three animals. The clank and clang of the horses" feet upon the flagstones echoed in the inclosure. Merry drew back, watching and listening.
"Three fine beasts," said a voice in Spanish. "And they are ours, comrade. The chief said we were to have them if we captured them."
"Why not?" sullenly returned the other man. "Are we to have nothing? Is the chief to get it all?"
"Hush, Jimenez!" hastily warned the first speaker. "Better not let him hear you utter such words."
"At least one can think, Monte," retorted Jimenez. "We take all the risks, and what do we get? Not even when we faced that young devil Americano at the mission did the chief put himself in peril. He urged us on, but he took good care of his precious self, I noticed."
"If you talk more in this manner, Jimenez," exclaimed Monte, "with you I will have nothing whatever to do!"
"Bah! You are a coward," snarled the other. "Now, be not hasty in your movements, for I, too, am armed."
"Fly at it!" whispered Frank, in satisfaction. "Go at each other, and do your prettiest. Cut each other"s throats, and I will applaud you, you rascals!"
But the two scoundrels did not engage in an encounter. After growling a little at each other, they proceeded with the horses to a part of the courtyard where the stables seemed to be, and there disappeared. Merry did not have to watch long for their return. They again crossed the open s.p.a.ce below and disappeared; but, listening where he stood, he heard their voices, and they seemed ascending stairs not far away.
His curiosity now fully aroused, with a pistol in his hand, Frank stole onward as swiftly as possible in an attempt to keep track of them. He left the terrace and came to the stairs by which they ascended. Even as he stole like a panther up those stairs, he caught the hum of voices and the flash of a light.
Thus it was that the daring young man at last reached a dark nook, from which sheltered spot he could peer through an open door into a lighted room where several men were gathered. Beyond doubt these were the members of Black Joaquin"s band, several of whom had set upon him at San Monica Mission.
CHAPTER XI.
RUFFIANS AT ODDS.
Some of the men were idly lounging about as they smoked, while others were playing cards. The card players were gambling, and money clinked on the table before them. A picturesque and desperate-looking group they were, yet Merriwell felt and knew by experience that they were far more dangerous in appearance than in actual fact. He had met a number of them face to face, and succeeded in holding them in check with no more than the crooked staff of the old monk for his weapon of defense. They were the kind to strike at a man"s back and cower before his face.
The card players did not always get along amicably. At times they quarreled excitedly, over their game. Finally one of them lost everything and flew into a pa.s.sion, roundly berating his more lucky companions. They laughed at him as they puffed their cigarettes.
"What matters it, Pachuca?" cried one. "It is only a little. Soon you will have more."
"Oh, yes, much more!" smiled another. "The chief has promised you plenty when he shall get the girl safely away."
"I much prefer money to promises," solemnly retorted Pachuca. "It"s an honest game I play. Why should I win with you?"
"Now, it"s best that you have a care with your tongue," rather hotly returned one of the winners. "Yesterday it was your luck to win; now it is mine."