himself
entirely to the slave's direction and let him press his hands down with
a thrusting movement upon one of the floor-boards, with the result that
the square trap glided away smoothly as if running upon rollers, while a
dark opening appeared, showing a flight of ladder stairs running down
into what seemed to be total darkness.

"A subterranean passage leading somewhere or another."

"It is the way out by which Mr Allen went," said Murray excitedly.

"Escaped, you mean," cried the lieutenant.

"Perhaps so, sir; but mayn't it be that he has been taken away by his
enemies?" suggested Murray.

"Well, that we have to see," replied the lieutenant.

"Look here, Caesar," said Murray, addressing the black, "has Mr Allen
gone this way?"

The black took a step or two towards the opening, listened, looked round
cautiously, and then took hold of the lad's arm and drew him away, to
whisper in his ear--

"Massa Huggin come and fesh him away."

"Then you think this Master Huggins is down there?"

The black nodded his head quickly and then pointed to the sailors, ran
first to one and then to another and touched their swords and the
muskets they carried, before pointing downward to the concealed flight
of steps.

"I can understand that, Mr Murray," said the lieutenant. "He wants us
to go down armed and follow the steps to where they lead; but we must
have lights. Humph!" he added. "The fellow understands English well
enough."

For the black darted to a corner closet, opened the door, and took out a
bottle, a box and a silver candlestick which stood all ready, a wax
taper which the black placed upon the side-table, and then, as cleverly
as if he had seen it done scores of times, he took the stopper out of
the little bottle, from which a strong odour of phosphorus arose, took a
match from the box, and thrust it into the bottle, with the result that
he brought it out burning, after the fashion of our fathers' time before
the invention of lucifer matches and congreve lights--a fashion adopted
when a letter had been written and the writer, who knew not adhesive
envelopes and desired to seal his missive, made use of the phosphorus
bottle instead of producing a light with a flint and steel.

"Well done," said the lieutenant. "Now then, are you going to light the
way?"

The black shook his head and shrank away once more.

"We're to do it ourselves, it seems, Mr Murray;" and the lieutenant
drew his sword. "I'll trou