Holmes and Creighton went down to see if they could
help, too, just after you left. There's nobody but Charity up at the
house with Lucy and Letty-Lou. Val, what are we going to do?" she
appealed to him.
"First I'll investigate these visitors," he said easily, though he felt
far from easy within.
"Me too," she said firmly if ungrammatically, and since Val could not
wait to argue, she went along.
They took the route she had watched the invaders follow, wriggling
through wet bushes and around trees.
"Val, look out!" She grabbed his arm and so saved him from tumbling
headlong into a black hole in the ground. Vines and a small shrub or two
had been ruthlessly torn out to bare the opening. It was here that the
visitors must have gone to earth. And then Val had a glimmering of the
truth; the "Boss" and his friends had at last found Jeems' private door.
Prudence urged that they return to the house and send Sam Two or some
other messenger down to the cross-roads store to summon the police by
phone. Prudence however had never successfully advised any Ralestone.
They had a decided taste for fighting their own battles. So, torch in
hand, Val dropped into the hole. And a moment later Ricky slid down to
join him.
They stood in a rough passage. Stout timbers banked its sides and
guarded the roof. There was a damp underground smell such as Val had
noted in the cellar of the house, but the air was fresh enough.
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