ething made him keep silence, though, had he been asked, he could not
have explained why.

"I should say there is a cupboard here," continued the sergeant, turning
back to examine it. "Fastened up, but been a cupboard like the other,
of course."

Guest glanced at Stratton again in the gloom, but he could see nothing
now, with the light averted, only hear his heavy breathing, which was
faintly stertorous, as if from exertion.

"Let me see, gentlemen, you live in the next chambers?"

Stratton was silent, while Guest met the officer's eye, and
involuntarily answered: "Yes."

"Do they back on to there?"

"Yes; part of the old suite," said Guest, answering, as it were, against
his will.

"I'll trouble you to take me in there for a moment, please," said the
man decisively.

Stratton drew a deep breath, and without a word led the way out into the
passage and round to his own door.

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN.

RUN TO EARTH.

"What the dickens does it all mean?" thought Guest wonderingly, as he
followed into Stratton's chambers, with a strange feeling of expectancy
exciting him. Something was going to happen, he felt sure, and that
something would be connected with his friend. And now he began to
regret bitterly having urged on the quest. It had had the effect of
rousing Stratton for the moment, but he looked horrible now, and Guest
asked himself again, what did it mean?

The sergeant looked sharply round Stratton's room, and noted where the
chamber lay; but his attention was at once riveted upon the fireplace
with its two doors, and he walked to the one on the right, seized the
handle, and found it fast.

"Yes," he said, "been open once, but closed, I should say, for many
years."

"Want it opened, pardner?" said his companion.

"Not that one," said the sergeant meaningly; and he went to the door on
the left, Stratton watching him fixedly the while, and Guest, in turn,
watching his friend, with a sense of some great trouble looming over
him, as he wondered what was about to happen.

"Hah! yes," said the sergeant, who began to show no little excitement
now; "fellow door sealed up, too."

Guest started and glanced quickly at his friend, who remained drawn up,
silent and stern, as a man would look who was submitting to a scrutiny
to which he has objected.

The sergeant shook the door, but it was perfectly fast, and the handle
immovable.

"Some time since there was a way through here," he said confident