nappers" softly. "That hole is merely the mouth of
an old coal mine. We will conduct you through the mine to the other
end, which is concealed from public view at a distance, and there we
will find four automobiles waiting for you. Lead the way, comrad
kidnappers."

The two head men descended into the hole, and the girls followed
Indian file. The spokesman and one other man descended last as a rear
guard. One of the men remained in the cellar with "Mrs. Eddy" and
together they hurriedly replaced the old door over the mouth of the
mine, shoveled some loose earth over this and then covered the earth
with eight or ten thicknesses of scrap lumber loosely tossed in a
heap.

Meanwhile the girls, guided by the lights ahead and aided by the two
lights behind, which were directed helpfully along their path, made
their way laboriously down the slope and along the many-angled gallery
to the opening at the other side of Holly Hill, as the high, rounded
elevation on and around which the city was built was called. Under
different circumstances undoubtedly they would have been much
interested in this experience as a subterranean exploration. And they
had all the time they might need for such exploration, for the dusk of
evening had not yet developed into darkness and they had to wait in
the mine over an hour before it was deemed safe to venture out with
the captives.

Near the opening at the foot of the bluff behind the abandoned flour
mill, gags were tied tightly over the girls' mouths and their hands
were bound in front of them, and they were assisted one by one down a
gradual, but rough, incline and into the waiting machines. Snow
falling in millions of huge flakes, a fact that evidently caused the
kidnappers more worry than the possibility of detection by persons in
the vicinity, for remarks escaped some of them relative to the
importance of haste before the roads became impassable to automobiles.
But the storm served them one good purpose if it menaced them in
another respect. It rendered the darkness of the night more
impenetrable and kept the streets almost free of pedestrians.
Moreover, the plotters were well supplied with means and methods of
guarding against escape or rescue. The gags and cloth manacles were so
well made that one might have suspected them of being products of a
manual training school of burglars' wives. During the passage from the
mine to the automobiles each of the girls wore a shawl thrown over her
he