A frown came upon Elmer"s face also, as though he did not wholly like the looks of things.
"Well, he ain"t here, that"s sure," remarked Lil Artha, shrugging his shoulders in disgust.
"He certainly isn"t," muttered Chatz, who, however, was thinking of an entirely different object than the one the tall boy referred to.
"Suppose we give him a shout, and see if there"s any result?" suggested Lil Artha.
"Do so, if you like," replied Elmer, in a tone that did not seem to promise much faith in the outcome of this plan.
So the tall boy raised his voice and shouted in his loudest key. A few stray bats that had taken up lodgings in various dark corners of the four rooms went flapping through a broken sash. But beyond that nothing came to pa.s.s.
"This sure beats the Dutch," remarked Lil Artha, using his bandana again to wipe off the perspiration that had gathered in beads upon his forehead.
Elmer was looking around again.
"Wonder if there can be a cellar under here?" he remarked, presently.
"I should say yes," replied the tall boy.
"Then there ought to be a trapdoor in the floor somewhere about. Look around and see if you can find it, boys," Elmer continued, himself stepping into the kitchen.
Chatz and the tall boy had hardly gotten well started in their search than they heard Elmer calling.
"He"s found it, sure!" observed the Southern lad.
"The luckiest chap ever, take that from me," declared Lil Artha, and then adding hastily: "but then, he always deserves his luck, because he works for it."
Although he did not exactly mean to do so, the one who said that expressed one of the greatest truths known. Deserve good luck, and it will many times knock at your door. Do things worth while, and obtain pleasing results.
Of course they hastened into the kitchen. Here they found Elmer bending over and examining the floor.
"It"s a trapdoor, all right," declared Lil Artha, as he noted the dimensions of the cracks that formed an almost perfect square.
"But how to get it up"s the question," said Elmer; "for there seems to be no ring in sight. All the same, boys, I reckon this same trap has been used more than a few times lately, from the looks of things."
"Whew! do you really mean it, Elmer?" remarked Chatz, deeply interested.
"Why, you can see for yourself right here that some sort of tool has been used to pry up the thing," Elmer went on.
"Say, I had a glimpse of an old broken kitchen knife lying over there by the sink. Wonder if that would do the trick? Shall I get it?" remarked Lil Artha.
"If you will," replied Elmer.
The article in question was speedily placed in the hands of the scout master.
"Just the very thing to lift this trap with," he declared, as he started to insert the stout remnant of the blade in the crack.
"Reckon it"s been used to do the trick many a time," advanced Chatz.
"I wouldn"t wonder," Elmer added.
Using the broken blade as a lever he soon pried the trap up far enough to allow the others a chance to insert their ready fingers. After that it was easily completed, and the square of wooden flooring removed.
"Dark as Egypt," remarked Lil Artha, as he tried to pierce the gloom with his gaze.
Elmer made a move, and Chatz, thinking he intended descending the ladder that led down into the unknown depths, caught his arm.
"I wouldn"t do it, Elmer," he said.
"Do what?" asked the other.
"Go down there," continued Chatz. "No telling how deep it may be or what lies there, either. If anybody must go, send me."
"Well," laughed Elmer, "I like your nerve, Chatz. You think something might hurt _me_, but you don"t care so much for yourself. That"s like you Southern fellows, though. But make your mind easy, my boy, because just at present I don"t think any of us need drop into this hole."
"I"m glad of that," declared the other; "but when you made a move I thought you were going."
"Oh, I only meant to get out my newspaper again, and make another little candle," said Elmer, with a chuckle.
"Well, say what you will, boys," remarked Lil Artha, who had been thrusting his head below the level of the floor and sniffing at a great rate; "I"m glad, too, that we don"t just have to drop down this ladder.
It"s cold and damp down there, and I tell you I don"t like the smell."
"There is a queer odor comes up, now that you mention it," admitted Elmer.
At that the eyes of Chatz grew round with wonder and suspense.
"Oh, I hope you don"t think--" he began, when Elmer interrupted him.
"Kind of fishy smell, don"t you think?" he said.
"Well, since you speak of it I rather guess it is something like that,"
Lil Artha admitted.
Then Chatz breathed easy again.
"But how could fish ever get in here from the mill pond?" he demanded.
"Give it up; I pa.s.s. Ask me something easy," the tall scout hastened to say.
Meanwhile Elmer had, as before, taken a section of the newspaper, crumpled it into a ball, and after that drew out his match box.
"Guess it"s safe to drop this down," he remarked. "It seems so damp there can really be no danger of anything taking fire."
"Sure there couldn"t," a.s.serted Lil Artha, st.u.r.dily. "Let her go, Elmer; and everybody look."
The match crackled, and the resulting flame was instantly applied to the paper ball.
Then Elmer let this drop, after he had made sure it would burn.