The Mercer Boys on a Treasure Hunt

hose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods. Far above him he could hear the slam of anothe

the professor. "The dungeon compl

his way around without difficulty, running his hands along the wall and extending his feet carefully. There was not a singl

nd. "They wouldn't be decent enough to give me a chair or bed, any

f stone, and the original owner and builder had no doubt had it quarried and dragged to the spot, using Indians who had been taken captive by the Spaniards. Such was the professor's belief and it wa

here was no other place and he was very tired from his long ride and the excitement of it all, so he felt around the floor with shrinking hand and finally found a spot n

ssessed some information which he was withholding, and they would do their best to get it out of him. They would try to starve him first, and in that fact he found a ray of hope, for it would take them several days to find out that he did not intend to say anything, and then they would adopt a more severe program. In that time Ned and the boy

to earn money and especially dishonest money, and they would not be likely to stop at anything cruel or inhuman. They were miles away from any source of help and the woods would effectually hide any story which might

sting time by sitting here. There seems to be no way of getting out of the place,

t unreliable engine that lighted once in a great while, but which always gave off a bright flash when the little wheel was turned by the thumb. It was in his vest

as evident that the cigar lighter had no intentions whatsoever of lighting for any length of time, but it at least gave forth a flash that threw the heavy stones into a sort of b

trong. The men had evidently not seen it and he knew why. Anyone who stood in the room and threw the beams of a lantern around would cast the light in a confused way into the corners and so miss seeing the rope, which was deep in the cranny, and indeed the professor

Far above his head a bell pealed out sharply, shattering the silence of the mountain fastness with disconce

professor. "I must stop that,

n. A chair fell over and he heard running footsteps. Apparently t

that bell?" he he

ached the ears of the professor. "That bell is just up there in the tower

ts!" snarled the leader. "

rs because he's sca

rge bell, placed there when the castle was first built. The rope which the professor had pulled led directly to this bell, a circumstance of which the men upstairs knew nothing, and

t, his tone ugly and uncertain. "Ain't there

use anyway. I tell you a spirit is ringing that bell! I

led Sackett. "It is

eeping strokes he tolled it, so that the melancholy sounds sounded out and over the country for mil

ll," ordered Sackett, as the professor paused in

gave the bell a final toll. Then he quickly resumed his place near the door, holding on

essor, who blinked and threw up his hand to cover his

What does it mean? Why is t

he door and flashed the light into the dungeon, looking intently at the corners. Without another word he went back up the winding stairs, and before

place and take him somewhere else. Whether that would in the end be a better move or not he did not know, but it was at least better than waiting and wasting time, and it woul

0

be asleep and he could ring it out in such a way as to bring them to their feet with fast beating hearts, convinced that the place was haunted by a spirit that rang the bell. If they per

fitful and restless, and after two hours of it he had the impression that something nearby was scratching. Awakening at last he sat up, wide awake i