"Don't hesitate, men," he urged. "I know the owner of this house very
well and will take all responsibility for damages on my own shoulders.
If the door won't give, break it down."

"Maybe there is somebody at home," Lieutenant Larkin suggested. "Let's
ring the bell first"

"Well, come on," said Mr. Stanlock. "We'll soon find out if there's
anyone in the house."

He led the way up the weather-beaten but fairly well preserved steps
and pulled the knob of the old fashioned doorbell. Then they waited
expectantly, straining their ears to catch the sound of the approach
of someone within. But no such sound reached them.

It appearing evident now that the house was temporarily without an
inmate, the searchers for the thirteen mysteriously vanished girls
decided to force their way in. Under ordinary conditions, this act
would have been recognized as burglary, but the present circumstances
were so extraordinary that legal consequences had no terrors for any
of those present. Accordingly an examination was made of the two first
story windows, two of which were found unlocked. With the aid of a box
discovered under the rear porch, several of the men climbed in one by
one and found themselves in a large unfurnished room, architecturally
intended, perhaps, as a dining room. Each of the three uniformed
policemen carried an electric flashlight and with the aid of these an
examination of the house was begun.

But not a trace of the missing girls could be found.

"What next?" one of the men asked.

"The basement," suggested Lieut. Larkin.

Mr. Stanlock opened the door at the head of the stairway and flashed
his light down the steps.

"Wait a minute," he said, barring the entrance. "Let's examine the
ground as we go. These steps have dust on them, and there are shoe
prints in the dust, and, yes, sir, as sure as you are alive, they are
the prints of women's shoes, and there are a lot of 'em, unless I'm
mistaken. Be careful now, men. Follow me single file and come down
along the left side of the stairway as close the wall as possible so
as not to spoil those footprints in the dust."

"Look out," said Mr. Stanlock. "There may be some desperate characters
down there with guns. Better let me go first--I have most at stake."

"Not much!" replied the lieutenant. "We'll never win the European war
without charging the trenches. All I ask is that you get the fellow
that gets me. So here goes."

Cautiously he descended the stairs