Jack Harkaway and His Son's Escape from the Brigands of Greece Part 98

Sebastian and Theodora were both menaced--aye, both.

Harkaway could only believe that they had been fooling him, and that he had been trapped there with a view to further treachery.

His rage, in consequence, knew no bounds.

But we must now follow the two brave boys.

"Back we go, or we shall be captured," said Harry Girdwood.

Young Jack led the way back as fast as the narrow s.p.a.ce would permit.

And soon they were in the dead-house again, and groping about here, they presently came upon a cupboard in which they discovered a number of tools.

"Luck at last," e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Harry.

"Here, let's make sure of these two knives," said young Jack.

They were long-bladed weapons, something similar in shape to the American bowie.

They took one each and placed them in their waist belts.

They little thought then of the singular yet immense service these were to be to them.

Now barely were these knives secreted when they were startled by the sound of heavy foot-falls upon the stone-paved pa.s.sage beyond the dead- house door.

"What shall we do now?"

Young Jack stepped up to the door, and listened intently for awhile.

"There are only two people," he said to his comrade, Harry, in a whisper.

"Only two. Well, that's quite enough, I should say."

"Let us hide behind the door," said young Jack, eagerly, "and then fall upon them, and make a dash for liberty."

The steps drew nearer and nearer.

"Let us hide here," said Harry, pus.h.i.+ng the lid off one of the long coffins or sh.e.l.ls.

But even as he did so, both boys started back with looks of horror.

And why?

The removal of the coffin lid revealed a ghastly corpse, the face showing the last agonies which the dead man had suffered, and they, to judge by the distorted face and twisted mouth, must have been horrible indeed.

They pushed back the lid.

"Ugh!"

"Horrible, horrible!" gasped young Jack. The footsteps sounded nearer.

They were coming to this place, whoever it was.

The boys looked about them in despair.

At the last moment young Jack's eye lighted upon an empty sack upon the ground, lying beside the full ones to which we have previously alluded.

"Let's get in that."

"Good."

Harry Girdwood jumped at the proposition.

Now the sacks were very large, and made of coa.r.s.e canvas, thick enough to avoid falling into folds, which would reveal the contents to any one at a glance.

So, quick as thought, young Jack held it open while Harry got in, and then Harry, holding up the sides of it with both hands, stood erect while young Jack joined him.

"This is a novel way of jumping in sack," said the irrepressible Jack.

"Hus.h.!.+"

"They come."

A key was heard grating in the rusty lock, and as the boys inclined against the other sacks so as to look as much like one of the pile as possible, the heavy door ground suddenly ajar, and two ugly-looking, black-visaged men entered the shed.

CHAPTER x.x.xV.

THE BLACK TRADE--A TRAFFIC IN DEATH--A PLACE OF HORROR--CAN IT BE TRUE?--TWO BOYS IN ONE SHROUD--A FIGHT WITH A SHARK--GIVING HIM THE SACK--DEEP-SEA FIs.h.i.+NG ON A NOVEL PLAN.

The two black-looking ruffians looked about them stealthily as though they were on no good errand there.

Then one of them listened at the door awhile.

"You had better lock the door, Fleon," said one of the men. "What we have to do mustn't be overlooked."

"True."

The boys heard the door closed and locked, and the sound seemed to lock out another hope for them.

"Now, Fleon, come here."

"Well, what now?"

"We must come to terms."