hen easily raised the board on which they had stood, and beckoned
to Dudley to come nearer. He did so, slowly, and with evident
reluctance.

"Look here," said she, pointing down to the space where the board had
been. "Look down. Don't be afraid," she added, in a jeering tone.
"There's nothing there to frighten you. See for yourself."

Dudley stooped, and looking through the small opening available, saw
that there was a space hollowed out underneath.

"And you put him there--under the boards?" said Dudley, in a low voice.
"But it was in the water that the body was found--in the river outside."

"Why, yes, so it was," said the old woman, slowly, as she lifted the
board out of its place altogether, and displacing also the one next to
it, descended through the opening she had made.

Dudley watched her with fascinated eyes. Apparently the space below was
not very deep, for she had only disappeared as far as the knees
down-ward, and then knelt down, and for a moment was lost to sight
altogether. She appeared to be struggling with something, and Dudley,
consumed with horror, took a step back as he watched.

Presently she looked up. Her face was in shadow, but he could see that
she was panting, as if with some great exertion.

"Get back! Stand in the middle of the room there, if you're afraid,"
said she, mockingly. "Right out of my reach, mind, where I can't get at
you."

Instinctively Dudley obeyed, stepping back into the little patch of
light thrown by the candle.

He had scarcely reached the middle of the room when he felt the boards
under his feet give way. Staggering, he tried to retrace his steps, to
reach the end of the room where the old woman, now again on a level with
him, was watching him in silence.

But as he moved towards her she made a spring at him, and forcing him
back with so much suddenness that he, quite unprepared, was unable to
resist her attack, she flung him to the ground in the very middle of the
room.

As he fell he felt the flooring give way under him. The next moment he
was struggling, like a rat in a well, in deep water.

CHAPTER XX.

THE PREY OF THE RIVER.

"Help! Help!" shouted Dudley. "Do you want to drown me?"

Great as the shock was of finding himself flung suddenly into what he
supposed was a flooded cellar, Dudley did not at first believe that the
old woman had any worse intention than that of playing him an ugly and
malicious trick.

But as he uttered this questi