Not daring to breathe they
stood there hugging the wall, their every muscle aching with the strain,
and then the two strangers walked on again, still talking in low, casual
voices, until they had reached the end of the passage where the steps
started abruptly upward. Then a patch of light showed suddenly.
"Steps here; be careful. They're none too easy," came the cautious voice
of Black Whiskers. "I'll go up first, so's you kin follow in my steps.
What's this? The door been left open, eh? I'll 'ave a few words with that
chap Jenkins afore I'm many days older. I'll larn 'im to disobey 'is
orders! Any one might come along 'ere and drop in casual-like!... The
unreliable swine!"
The light grew less and less as the bearer of it climbed the rude stairs,
and finally vanished altogether. And as it disappeared Dollops clutched
Cleek's arm, his breath coming in little gasps.
"The door, sir--" he gasped. "If they close that, we're--" And even as he
spoke there came a sound of sliding bolts and a thump which told the
truth only too well.
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