“We’ve come this far, and there’s no sense in turning back. Let’s go.”
Frank stepped on into the passage beyond. He had hardly switched on the flashlight, revealing a crude flight of stairs that led from the rocky landing, before he stiffened and laid a warning hand on his brother’s arm.
“Voices!” he whispered.
They listened.
They heard a man’s voice in the distance. They could not distinguish what he was saying, for he was still too far away, but gradually the tones grew louder. Then, to their alarm, they heard footsteps.
Hastily, they retreated into the secret chamber.
“Quick! The door,” snapped Frank.
They closed the door quietly.
“Now the boxes. If they come in here they’ll notice that the boxes have been moved. Quick.”
Swiftly the Hardy boys began to pile the empty boxes back on the platform that projected from the bottom of the door. They worked as quietly as possible and as they worked they heard the footsteps on the stairs drawing closer and closer.
Finally, the topmost box was in place.
“Out the other door.”
They sped across the floor of the chamber toward the door that led to the stairs they had just recently ascended, but hardly had they reached it before they heard a rattle at the latch of the door on the opposite side of the cave.
“We haven’t time,” whispered Frank. “Hide.”
The beam of the flashlight revealed a number of boxes close by the door. Over these boxes had been thrown a heavy bolt of silk, the folds of which hung down to the floor. They scrambled swiftly in behind the boxes, pressing themselves close against the wall. They did not have more than time to hide themselves and switch out the light before they heard the other door open.
“There’s a package of dope in that shipment that came in last night,” they heard a husky voice saying. “We’ll bring it upstairs, for Burke says he can get rid of it for us right away. No use leaving it down here.”
“Right,” they heard someone else reply. “Anything else to go up?”
“No. We won’t start moving the rest of this until the end of the week. It’s too dangerous. Let Burke take out the shipment he has, along with this dope, and then we’ll lay low for a few days. I’m getting a bit nervous.”
“What does the big boss think about it?”
“That’s his idea too. Here—wait till I switch on that light.”
There was a click, and suddenly the chamber was flooded with light. The cave had been wired for electricity.
The Hardy boys crouched in their hiding place. Their hearts were pounding madly.
Would they be discovered?
Footsteps slowly approached the boxes behind which they were concealed!
XVIII
A Startling Discovery
The Hardy boys were tense with a realization of their peril.
The strong electric light that hung from the center of the ceiling cast such a vivid illumination that they were sure they would be seen, particularly when they found that the boxes behind which they were hidden were spaced some distance apart. But for the folds of silk that hung down over the opening they would certainly have been seen.
“Here’s some of that special silk,” they heard the first man say. “Perhaps I’d better bring it up too. Burke was saying he could handle some more silk.”
“We’re done for!” thought Frank. “If he ever comes close enough to pick up that silk he’ll see us, sure.”
But the other man objected.
“What’s the use? You won’t get any more thanks for carrying all that stuff upstairs, even if Burke does take it. And if he doesn’t, you’ll just have to cart it all the way down again. My motto in this gang is to do just what Snackley tells me and no more.”
“I guess you’re right. We’ll just bring up the dope.”
To the relief of the boys the man turned away and went back to the other side of the chamber. They could hear a rustling sound. Then came the words:
“Well, we’ve got it. Let’s go back up.”
The switch snapped and the cavern was steeped in darkness immediately. It was a darkness immeasurably welcome to the lads crouched behind the boxes. They began to breathe more easily. They heard the door close and then they could hear the footsteps of the two men as they ascended the stairs in the passageway.
When the footsteps could be heard no more, Frank switched on the flashlight with a sigh of relief.
“That was a close call. Gosh, but I was sure they had us.”
“We wouldn’t have had any chance with that pair. You can bet your life they carry guns.”
“Well, let’s follow them.”
“I’m with you. We know we’re on the right track.”
“And we know we’re liable to blunder right into the whole den of smugglers if we don’t watch our step. It’s going to be ticklish from now on.”
“It can’t be any more ticklish than it has been. I lived about ten years while that pair was in here.”
They crossed the chamber and again opened the door. Cautiously, they stepped out on the landing, closed the door behind them, and again confronted the flight of steps.
“I’ll go first,” said Frank. “Stick close behind me.”
He decided to turn out the flashlight, because it was barely possible that the smugglers might have a guard at the top of the stairs, in which event their approach would be discovered. So, in the inky blackness, they ascended, step after step.
They reached the top of the first flight of stairs and then they found themselves upon a crude landing of planks which ran along the side of the rock wall for some distance until it ended in another flight of steps.
Here the boys stopped again to listen. All was as silent as the tomb save for the distant pounding of the sea upon the cliff.
“I don’t hear a sound,” whispered Joe,
“Come on,” came from his brother.
The passage through the rock was of considerable depth, and they went on up countless steps until their limbs were
