A man with four identities; or, The little giant's greatest problem by Nicholas Carter

Author:Nicholas Carter [Carter, Nicholas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nick Carter
Published: 2023-04-06T07:44:09+00:00

CHAPTER VII

THE RESCUE.

Nick knew that he could expect small mercy from one who would shoot down one of his companions in that cold-blooded fashion, and he deemed it best to at once make himself scarce in the old cellar.

Rapidly he made his way back to the ladder that he had descended when Old Silence had shown him the way.

The ladder was gone.

"Trapped!" muttered Nick, "and by a mute!"

He examined the sides of the well and found that it was simply a round hole that had been dug there for the gang's accommodation.

They had not taken the trouble either to cement it or stone it, and drawing his knife, he at once began work upon the clay-like soil.

Now and then he paused to listen, but since the shot which had killed Ike, he had heard no sound, and none came while he was engaged in the work.

Finally, when he had worked his way nearly to the top of the well, by digging holes in which he could cling with his feet and hands, the silence became so oppressive that he descended and went once more to the other well-hole and listened.

One flash of his lantern revealed the fact that the ladder upon which he had stood while engaged in listening was also gone.

In an instant the full realization of his position rushed upon him.

He had been deliberately led into the trap, and he was a prisoner in that underground passage beneath the cellar and the only exits were by the two trap doors, both of which were securely fastened down, without doubt.

Slowly he returned to the well-hole where he had dug the steps in the sides.

He climbed up to the place where he had ceased laboring, and once more began to work.

In a half hour he had completed the task, having dug the top holes much larger than the others so that he could brace against them, for he relied upon his great strength to force the trap-door upward and so escape.

Having made every arrangement, he gathered all his strength for one mighty effort.

With his shoulders against the trap door, and his feet braced in the crevices he had dug in the sides of the shaft, he strained every muscle in the effort to lift.

Nothing started.

To all appearance the house itself had been piled upon the door to keep him down there, a prisoner, where he would slowly perish by starvation.

Nick Carter knew when he could not do a thing as well as he knew when he could, and he quickly saw that the raising of the trap-door was a feat beyond his strength, great as it was.

There was one other chance.

The other door where the men had been talking, and where Reubenstein had shot down the man Isaac, might not be so securely fastened.

He went there and again set to work digging steps in the sides of the well-hole.

At last he reached the top, and using the same method of procedure, he tried to move that door.

It resisted his efforts exactly as the other one had done.

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