CHAPTER XXX
THE SECRET PASSAGE
That night was one of rest. I was physically tired out, and after I hadposted a few letters to merchants in Aberdeen, giving orders for variousgoods to be sent at once to Whinnyfold, I went to bed and slept till theearly morning. I got up at daylight, and after my morning swim rode offto Crom. Again I left my bicycle in the wood and took my way round tothe back of the hill and up through the wood to the monument beyond thereservoir. It was still early morning, as it is counted in the cities,though the sun was well up. I went with extra caution, stealing fromtree to tree; for I knew nothing of the locality of the watchers atthis hour. I saw no sign of anyone; and coming at last to where therudimentary pathway lay, examined carefully where I had placed the firstthread. As I did so I straightened myself quickly and looked round withapprehension. The thread was broken across, though the two ends weretied where I had placed them!
With a beating heart I examined all the others in turn, with the sameresult. It was quite evident that some one, or some thing had passedalong the track. In spite of my concern I rejoiced, for something hadbeen found. It was at least probable that there was a regular routesomewhere at hand. Accordingly I prepared my traps afresh, this timeplacing them in various directions, and at irregular distances along thepath and all round the monument. I might thus be able to trace theexact route of anyone who might disturb them. This done, and it tooksome time, I went back to the wood, and thence rode to the castle.
Marjory was eager for news, but it thrilled me to see that her eagernesswas not all from this cause; hour by hour I found myself growing in heraffection. When I told her of the broken threads, she clapped her handswith delight; the hunter spirit hereditary in her was pleased. She gaveher opinion that on the next morning I should be able to locate theentrance to the passage, if one there was. In the midst of her speakingthus she stopped; a bright, keen light came into her eyes, and her browsknitted.
"Why," she said, "how stupid I am. I never once thought of doing thesame at my end. Yesterday, after you left, I spent an hour in the oldchapel and went over every inch of it; but it never occurred to me to dothere what you had gone to do at the monument. If I had done so, I mightthis morning have been able to discover the secret of the disappearanceof the kidnappers. I shall take good care to do it this evening."
While she was speaking a fear grew upon me lest being alone in the ruinshe might give her enemies the very opportunity they wanted. She saw mydistress, and with her quick woman's wit guessed the cause of it. Witha very tender movement she placed her hand on the back of mine, andwithout squeezing it held it there firmly as she said:
"Don't be frightened for me, dear. These are expert workmen that we aredealing with. They won't move till their plans are all ready. They don'twish to get hold of me for five minutes and let "Mac's men"--as lackingdue respect for President McKinley, they call the Secret Service agentsof my country--catch them red-handed. They are only laying their plansas yet. Perhaps we may have cause to be anxious when that is done; butas yet it's all right. Anyhow, my dear, as I know it will make youeasier in your mind, when you are not at hand to protect me, I shall laythe traps whilst you are with me. There now! Am I good to my husband, oram I not?" I made her aware in my own way--I could not help it--that shewas good! and she let the incident pass unrebuked. Even lovers, thoughthey have not the status of the husband, must be allowed a littlelatitude now and again.
We talked over all the possibilities that we could either of us think ofwith regard to a secret passage between the castle and the monument. Itwas apparent that in old time such a hidden way might have been of theutmost importance; and it was more than possible that such a passagemight exist. Already we had reason to believe that there was a waybetween the ruined chapel and the top of the reservoir hill, and we knewthat there must be existing some secret hiding place gained from theinterior of the chapel. What we had still to discover, and this was themost important of all, was whether there was a method of communicationbetween the castle and the chapel. After tea we started out together;and as we had arranged between us before starting, managed in ourstrolling to go quite round the castle and through many of the grassyalleys between the woods. Then, lest there should be any listener, Isaid:
"Let us go into the old chapel. I haven't had a good look at it since Ihave been coming here!" So we went into the chapel and began to lay ourtraps. Of course we could not guard against any one spying upon us.There might be eyes of enemies bent on us through some secret chink orcranny or organised spy-hole. This we could not help, and had to takeour chances of it; but if anyone were within ear-shot and unable tosee us, we guarded our movements by our misleading remarks concerninghistory and art. Deftly Marjory stretched sections of her gossamerthread from place to place, so that if any one went in the chapel theircourse must be marked by the broken threads. We finished near the door,and our artless, innocent, archaeological conversation stopped there,too. We strolled back to the castle, feeling sure that if there were anysecret hiding place within the ruin we should have located the entranceto it in the morning.
That afternoon I went to the house at Whinnyfold. Most of the thingswhich I had ordered had arrived, and when I had had the various boxesand bundles moved inside I felt able to start on my work.
First I rigged up a proper windlass over the hole into the cave; andfixed it so that any one could manipulate it easily and safely fromabove. It could be also worked from below by aid of an endless chainround the axle. I hammered the edges of the hole somewhat smoother,so that no chance friction might cut the rope; and I fixed candlesand lanterns in various places, so that all the light which might benecessary could be had easily. Then I furnished a room with rugs andpillows, and with clothes for Marjory for changing. She would be sure torequire such, when our search after the treasure should come off. I hadready some tins of provisions, and I had arranged at the hotel that asI might sometimes stay and work in my own home--I was supposed to be anauthor--some fresh provisions were to be sent over each morning, andleft ready for me with Mrs. Hay at Whinnyfold. By the time my work wasthrough, it was late in the evening, and I went to the hotel to sleep.I had arranged with Marjory to be with her early in the morning. Itwas hardly daylight when I woke, but I got up at once and took my waytowards Crom, for the experience of the day before had shown me thatwhoever used the path near the monument used it in the grey of the dawn.As usual I hid my bicycle and took my way cautiously to the monument. Bythis time the sun was up and the day was bright; the dew lay heavy, andwhen I came on any of my threads I could easily distinguish them by theshimmering beads which made each thread look like a miniature rope ofdiamonds.
Again the strings across the path were broken. My heart beat heavilyas I began to follow back towards the monument the track of the brokenthread. It led right up to it, on the side away from the castle, andthen stopped. The other threads all round the monument were intact.Having learned so much, my first act was to prevent discovery of myown plan. Accordingly I carefully removed all the threads, broken andunbroken. Then I began to make minute investigation of the monumentitself. As it was evident that whoever had broken the threads had comestraight from it, there was a presumption that there was an openingsomewhere. The rock below was unbroken and the stonework was seeminglyfixed on the rock itself. By a process of exclusions I came to thebelief that possibly the monument itself might be moveable.
Accordingly I began to experiment. I pressed against it, this way andthat. I tried to move it by exercising pressure top and bottom in turn;but always without avail. Then I began to try to move it sideways asthough it might be on a pivot. At first there was no yielding, no answerof any kind to my effort; but suddenly I thought I perceived a slightmovement. I tried again and again, using my strength in the same way;but with no result. Then I tried turning it in the suspected direction,holding both my hands low down on the corners of the boulder; then goinggradually up higher I pursued the same effort; again no response. StillI felt I was on the track a
nd began to make efforts in eccentric ways.All at once, whilst I was pressing with my left hand low down whilst Ipulled with my right high up on the other edge, the whole great stonebegan to move in a slow easy way, as though in perfect poise. Icontinued the movement and the stone turned lazily over on one side,revealing at my very feet a dark opening of oval form some three feetacross its widest part. Somehow I was not altogether surprised; my headkept cool in what was to me a wonderful way. With an impulse which wasbased on safety, lest the opening of the hole should make discovery ofmy presence, I reversed the action; and the stone rolled slowly over toits old position. Several times I moved it from its place and then backagain, so that I might become accustomed to its use.
For a while I hesitated as to whether I should explore the openingimmediately; but soon came to the conclusion that I had better beginat once. So I went back to my bicycle and took the lamp with me. I hadmatches in my case, and as I had the revolver which I always carriednow, I felt equal to any emergency. I think I was finally influenced inmy decision to attempt the passage at once by the remembrance ofMarjory's remark that the kidnappers would make no effort until theirplans were quite complete. They, more than I, might fear discovery; andon this hope I was strong as I lowered myself down through the narrowopening. I was glad to see that there was no difficulty in moving thestone from the inside; there were two iron handles let into the stonefor the purpose.
I cannot say I was at ease in my mind, I was, however, determined to goon; and with a prayer to God for protection, and a loving thought ofMarjory, I went on my way.
The passage was doubtless of natural origin, for it was evident thatthe seams in the rock were much like those on the coast where the strataof different geological formations joined. Art had, however improved theplace wonderfully. Where the top had come too low it had been quarriedaway; the remnants still lay adjacent where the cave broadened out. Thefloor where the slope was steep was cut into rough steps. Altogether,there were signs of much labour in the making of the passage. As I wentdown, I kept an eye on the compass whenever I came to a turn, so that Imight have a rough idea of the direction in which I was going. In themain the road, with counterbalancing curves and angles, led straightdown.
When I had got to what I considered must be half way, allowing for theastounding magnitude which seems to be the characterisation of even ashort way under ground; the passage forked, and at a steep angle anotherpassage, lower and less altered than that along which I had come, turnedaway to the left. Going a few feet up it I could hear the sound ofrunning water.
This was evidently the passage to the reservoir.