"But there is this difference," muttered Billie. "I know that
there must be some sort of a crack where that slab fell back."
He held the electric bull's-eye close to the stone and
scrutinized every spot.
Not a single crack could he spy.
Then he took out his big jack-knife and prodded with it clear
across the width of the stairway.
There was nothing but solid stone.
"Looks kind o' desperate," he told himself, "but I have simply
got to find an opening."
Again he prodded the place over without result.
"It's no use," he finally said to himself. "If I am to get out of
here, help will have to come from somewhere outside. But how can
it?"
He sat down on the stairs and thought deeply.
"If it is as I think," he mused, "these stairs have been used
recently. The very fact that Ambrosio is prowling around here is
proof that Strong must have been here at some time. But where is
Strong?"
He slid down several steps and threw the light of his torch
across to the opposite stairs.
"Bang!" went something that sounded like a falling stone.
Billie sprang to his feet.
"Click! Bang!" and down the opposite stairway streamed a ray of
light.
Billie shut off his electric torch and waited.
Then on the steps there appeared a foot, then another, until a
whole human body was in sight.
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