erwise than
that the convicts had locked us inside the coach, and then sent us and
it together bodily over the cliff.

"I shall never forget when we first heard that strange muffled knocking
and shouting in the west parlour," said Miles. "It was so strange and
unearthly that my blood ran cold with terror. John, the shepherd, was
in the yard, and noticed that his dog seemed uneasy, and kept barking
and growling at something. I was talking with him at the time. We
paused to listen, but I could hear nothing; so John ordered the dog to
lie down. Old 'Help' still kept grumbling to himself; then, just as
the man and I were turning to walk out of the yard, one of the maids
came out of the house screaming and bawling something about a ghost.
It was some seconds before we could get enough sense out of her to
understand what was wrong, and in the meantime Stokes, the wagoner,
came clattering out of the stable and joined the group. There was a
ghost knocking and calling in the haunted room, so the girl informed
us, and off we went to discover what was wrong. Old John shortened his
oak stick, and Stokes caught up a pitchfork: they evidently both meant
business.

"It seems funny enough now, but I can tell you I didn't feel much
inclined to laugh when we reached that fusty old parlour and heard that
mysterious bump, bump, and a faint, far-off voice, as it seemed, giving
unearthly whoops, and crying, 'Help!' Old John was the first to
recover his senses. 'There's some one under here!' he cried, striking
his stick on the hearthstone. Then he shouted, and sure enough there
was an answering hail. It seemed impossible that any living being
could be down under that solid slab of granite; but we fetched a pick
and crowbar, and worked at it till it fell into the tunnel. If we'd
only known the proper way to deal with it, we could have made it slide
along into a recess specially made for it at the back of the fireplace,
but we didn't discover that till later.

"Woodley says you fainted; but fortunately he heard our warning shout
to stand from under, and dragged you back into the tunnel, or you might
have been killed by the falling slab. I was so excited and astonished
as I looked down into that queer little vault, and you both were so
haggard, and ragged, and generally bedraggled, that at first I didn't
recognize you, and it was only when you called my name that I saw who
it was. Well, you may be very sure we soon had you out;