CHAPTER IV
BURIED ALIVE
"Well, if you're a friend, step forward and let us see what you looklike," challenged Ned, turning in the direction from whence the strangevoice proceeded. "You needn't be afraid to show your face."
"I'm not the one who is afraid," was the reply.
"We're not afraid, if that's what you mean," retorted the lad.
A chuckle from the newcomer was the only response.
"Are you coming forward?" asked Ned in a rather impatient tone, for hisexperiences of the last few moments had been enough to cause him to beslightly irritable. "I'd like to see you."
As the lad spoke he peered eagerly toward the blackness surroundinghimself and his chums. Owing to the faintness of the flame from theirsmall fire, the darkness lying about them like a dense pall was toogreat for his eyes to pierce. Try as he might, he could notdistinguish even the faintest outline of the stranger.
"If you are afraid of the rats or the Germans you might step over thisway and we'll go to a more convenient and pleasant place. This isn't acheerful spot," was the stranger's suggestion.
This invitation was received in silence by the three boys.
"Of course," the other continued, "if you prefer to remain here andtalk it over with the rodents, I have no objections."
"Perhaps we would rather take our own way out of here," Ned stated withlittle friendliness in his voice.
"Perhaps," was the dry response from the utter darkness. "But," wenton the stranger, "you'd have a beautiful time doing it. There's onlyone way out of this place except by the trap door through which youcame. Unless you're regular little derricks you can't move all thatrubbish piled on top of the trap door, and you'd not be apt to discoverthe underground exit if you had the eyes of a hawk and an electriclight plant besides. Better come along."
Ned had not relaxed his clasp on the hands of his companions, and nowdrew them closer to him. In a whisper he asked:
"What do you think, boys? Shall we do as he suggests?"
"Might as well," said Jack. "We can't be in much worse case than weare now, and those rats might get good and ugly when they get wise toour being here. I move we follow him."
"Second the motion, unless you've got a better suggestion," addedHarry. "This place is getting on my nerves. Let's go."
"I rather feel as if we ought not to go with this fellow unless he'swilling to show himself and let us get an idea who he is," Ned statedin a hesitating way. "Perhaps you boys are right, but I don't feel atall easy about it. Maybe he's trying to get us into a trap."
"That's so," agreed Harry. "At least if we remain where we are we'llbe no worse off than we would have been without him."
"You're right there," put in Jack, "but on the other hand we're in abad fix, and Jimmie's outside and needs us. This fellow's coming maybe just the chance for escape that we are wanting. Suppose we followhim as he suggests and all the while remember our motto to 'BePrepared.' Wouldn't that be the proper course?"
"I guess you're right, Jack," Ned said with a sigh. "Perhaps I'm wrongabout it. I don't want to overlook a chance to help Jimmie and getback to America. I'll withdraw my objections."
"All right, then, let's get started. Tell him so."
"Are you there?" Ned called out in a louder tone, addressing himselftoward the place from which the stranger's voice had come.
"I am for a minute," answered the other. "But I'm going now. If youcare to come with me I'll be glad to take you out of here."
"Where will you take us?" asked Ned, reluctant still to follow.
"That's something I cannot say right now. You'll find out."
"All right," consented the boy, starting forward. "But remember," hecautioned, "we shall not relish anything in the way of tricks."
"Suspicious still, I see," laughed the other. "Well, follow thislight, and be careful how you step. There may be irregularities in thefloor that you'll have to discover for yourselves. It won't be safe todo any talking for a while. The Germans are watchful."
The three boys were startled to observe a circle of light appear uponthe stone floor of the apartment at some little distance from the spotwhere they were standing. It appeared to emanate from an electricsearchlight held in the hands of the stranger.
Ned took a step toward the light. Jack and Harry did likewise. Theirsurprise increased as they observed that the light moved along thefloor at a pace about equal to their own.
Ned thought that he could faintly discern the feet of the personcarrying the light, but was unable to learn anything of the characterof the person. He was torn between his desire to escape from theapartment and the wish to learn the identity of the stranger.
Only a few steps had been taken by the stranger before the light wasextinguished. Instantly the three boys halted.
"S-s-sh!" came a warning hiss. "Be mighty careful now of yourconversation and your footsteps. Keep as quiet as possible and followme closely. We are all in extreme danger!"
In spite of his efforts at self-control, Ned's muscles trembled and hefound it difficult to walk steadily. Assuming that his chums were inlike plight, the lad summoned all his courage and reached out areassuring hand to the others. The contact with his friends seemed torestore the equilibrium that had been Ned's most valuable asset intimes of stress and danger in his many adventures.
Long afterwards the boy declared that in all his experiences thatcompassed many strange and hazardous enterprises in the United States,Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, China and other countries he had neverfelt so keenly the need of aid as he did at that moment.
Not for long, however, were the boys permitted to consider the peril oftheir position. Almost instantly they heard a faint grating sounddirectly in front of them. A cold draught of damp, musty air strucktheir faces, and they understood that a door had been opened into someother apartment. The odor of the incoming air told them plainly thatthe next apartment was also underground, and they surmised that it hadnot recently been occupied.
"Come!" was the command borne to their ears in the faintest of whispersfrom the person leading the way.
Unhesitatingly the lads advanced. Jack had taken but a couple of stepsbefore he collided with some solid object. The shock of contactbrought forth a grunt of surprise. At the same moment Harry wentthrough a similar experience. Ned met no resistance and nearly losthis hold of the others before he recovered his balance.
"Gee!" Jack whispered, "I've hit a wall!"
"Here, too!" put in Harry, lowering his whisper to a mere breath.
"Single file, lock step," directed Ned.
Jack and Harry fell in behind their Scout Master obediently, and thelittle party began groping its way along. Ned reached out a hand oneither side as he went forward. His hands came in contact with wallsthat appeared to be made of stone. The dampness had gathered in greatdrops on the surface. A slime had been deposited that made Ned shudderas he felt it. He knew, however, that this was no time to permit aninterruption through squeamishness.
There was now no guiding light in advance, and the boys cautiouslypicked their way along the stones, with Ned feeling every inch of theway before he set his foot down. Directly the lad heard anotherwarning hiss. This time the sound was closer than formerly.
"Put your hand on my shoulder," came the whispered command.
Ned followed this instruction immediately. He judged by the height towhich he raised his hand to rest it upon the other's shoulder that thestranger was a person of about his own build. His sense of touch alsotold him that the other's clothing was of a material similar to thekhaki uniform he himself was wearing. A faint odor of gasoline andgrease assailed his nostrils, particularly distinguishable because ofthe damp air in which the party was traveling.
Suddenly the boys were startled by the sound of an explosion that camefaintly to their ears. The earth in their vicinity trembled.
"What's that?" asked Ned in a whisper. "What's going on?"
"H
ush!" replied the guide. "The Germans are making some improvementsin the town. They are blowing down some dangerous walls. Now keep asquiet as you can and follow me. We'll have to hurry!"
Ned made no further attempt at conversation, but obediently gave hisentire attention to following the strange person in advance.
Before the little party had traversed the passage to any considerabledistance they heard several other explosions similar to the first. Oneparticularly louder than the others was followed by the sound of smallpieces of rock tumbling from the roof and walls of the passage. Nedpressed still closer to his guide, while Jack and Harry needed nourging to make them crowd up to Ned in their impatience.
Not far from the point where the boys had noticed the pieces of rockfalling the guide turned a corner abruptly. Ned wondered how he wasable in the intense blackness to distinguish so accurately the spot formaking the turn, but refrained from making any comment.
As he followed the guide around the corner the lad's foot struckagainst an object lying on the floor. A metallic ring from the objecthe had kicked caught the lad's attention. Slipping his hand quicklydown the other's back in preparation for a movement to pick up theobject, Ned was surprised to come in contact with a belt. He wasstartled to observe that the belt was filled with cartridges.
Without stopping to comment upon the circumstance, Ned stooped quicklywith hand outstretched. His fingers came in contact with the objecthis foot had struck. He instantly recognized it to be an automaticpistol. Restraining his impulse to cry out, the lad shifted the weaponin his hand to a grip that would permit him to use it in case such amove was necessary. He straightened up at once.
Scarcely had the boys taken another dozen steps before they heard thevoices of a number of men, all apparently endeavoring to talk at onceand using a language that was unintelligible to the lads.
Greater caution, if possible, was now used by all in their negotiatingthe dark passage. A few steps farther on carried them past the placewhere the voices had been heard. Ned breathed a sigh of relief as thevoices died away in the distance.
Presently the guide halted. He turned to a position where he couldface Ned. Still speaking in a whisper, he said:
"We are not out of danger yet, but I'll thank you to let me have thatautomatic you picked up back there. It's mine!"
"Come on, now, hand it over," continued the other.
"Where did you get it?" whispered Ned. "Can you prove what you say?"
"Of course I can!" replied the other. "I'm a bird man, and that ispart of my equipment. You have no right to it!"
A louder detonation than any they had heard yet drowned Ned's reply.The walls in the passage seemed shaking as if about to fall. From thepassage in their rear came shrieks and groans. An odor of sulphur cameblowing upon their backs. A crashing and grinding noise filled theair. Jack and Harry closed in upon the others.
"Let's get out of here as quick as we can," urged Ned.
"We're at the end of the passage!" declared the guide. "That blast hasprobably filled the corridor back of us with rubbish. Unless we candig a way out of it, we're buried alive!"