CHAPTER x.x.xIV.
WHAT THE CYPHER DID FOR THEM--THE END OF THE Pa.s.sAGE--NEARLY SAVED--BACK AGAIN--LOST--THE DEAD-HOUSE ON THE TERRACE.
Four Stones up.
Two across.
"Do you understand it now, Harry?"
The latter scratched his head and looked about.
"I understand it well enough," he replied; "but there is one difficulty."
"What?"
"A tool."
"Let us try with our hands first," said Jack.
And so saying, he set to work himself to try as he suggested.
"One, two, three, four, and two up. Good! Now, Harry, lend a hand here.
Come."
Harry Girdwood dropped on one knee beside his companion and together they pressed the stone indicated in the singular cypher.
For a moment they felt no effect, but after a minute"s effort they found that they had made an impression.
The discovery set them all aglow.
"Once more."
"Harder yet."
"Of course; only mind, Jack, no jerking."
"All right"
"We must work without making any noise; a jerk might bring down one of the stones with a clatter, which would alarm the guards.
"Caution is our watchword."
Soon they had the satisfaction of seeing the stone revolve and drop out into their arms.
Then they saw that beyond the hole thus left there was an open s.p.a.ce.
It was pitch dark.
Now, the hole in the wall was only just big enough for one of them to squeeze through, and Harry Girdwood pushed in eagerly, and then he perceived that beyond was a sort of tunnel on a small scale, with a roughly-hewn flight of steps at the end of it.
"I can see some steps," said he.
"Go on," said Jack, with feverish eagerness.
"I will; but you go to the door, Jack, and listen."
Jack stood eagerly watching at the dungeon door.
Young Jack was full of eagerness.
Harry had disappeared, and he could not see or hear him.
"All right."
The answer came in a hollow, echoing sound, which indicated that Harry Girdwood had made some considerable progress.
This increased his eagerness greatly.
"Harry."
No answer.
He was too far for young Jack"s voice to reach him.
Quitting his post at the door, young Jack ran back to the hole in the wall, and called out eagerly to his exploring comrade--
"Harry, Harry!"
"Hullo!"
"Come back, quick! I can hear someone coming."
"The deuce you can."
Back he scrambled as fast as the narrow s.p.a.ce would allow of, and he was soon in the cell again.
"What is it?"
"I heard the bell go and the iron door along the pa.s.sage outside.
Sebastian is coming."
"Confound it! Look what a precious mess."