Gone North (The Argosy Library) by Charles Alden Seltzer

Author:Charles Alden Seltzer [Seltzer, Charles Alden]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Northwest
Publisher: Altus Press
Published: 2015-10-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter XIX

THE LABYRINTH OF TUNNELS

THE LAMP, which was still where Fallon had placed it on the table, was burning, and the room was flooded with its weak, ruddy glare. The lower sashes of the two windows in the room were open, and a slight, chill breeze came in, bearing with it the dank, moist, spruce-laden scent of the forest and the diapason of the night insects. There was no sound from inside the house except the dull, heavy rasping of the hearthstone as it was stealthily raised.

Fallon made no sound as he sat erect and twisted himself around on the edge of the bed so that he faced the fireplace. His revolver was lying on the bed where he had placed it. He slipped his moccasins on his feet, buckled the cartridge belt about his waist, drew out the heavy revolver and twirled the cylinder to make certain it was filled, then cautiously crossed the room and stepped behind the west end of the chimney breast.

The breast was deep, and by flattening himself against the wall he could conceal himself from the intruder. He did not extinguish the light, for it might have been seen already, and putting it out would warn the uninvited visitor that his presence under the hearthstone had been discovered. And Fallon was very curious.

Peering around the corner of the chimney, Fallon watched the hearthstone. It moved only slightly, with a twisting, heaving motion, as though whoever was under it was exerting his lifting force in its center. It was fitted loosely in its stone frame, and Fallon could see no reason why a great deal of force should be required to move it.

The explanation came presently, however, when at each side of the stone finally appeared the links of an iron chain, the links so fashioned as to form handles by which the stone might be lifted from above. And now Fallon observed that in the stone frame were two loose stones, one on each side, which hid the chain handles from view. Whoever wished to lift the hearthstone from above needed only to remove the stones covering the handles.

But what was under the hearthstone? Fallon speculated upon this question as he watched the stone slowly rise. Gail Hammond had told him that this was a very mysterious house, with towers and secret rooms, and subterranean passages and channels in it, but it seemed that in addition to these there were secret passages from room to room. It must be that in the thick walls and under or between the heavy floors there was room for a system of secret passages which would permit the unscrupulous inmates of the house to murder people in their beds.

Fallon now had no doubt that Revella or some of the others had discovered that he had been in Denise Laville’s room, and suspected she had hidden him in the room that had belonged to her mother. Being aware of the secret passages, they were now coming to kill him.

The stone came clear of its socket.

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