wn. There can be no danger if you have no light."

"Unless the rusty key strikes a light, sir."

"Oh, that's impossible," whispered Roy.

"I suppose I'd better pull off my boots before I go down; it'll perhaps
be safer."

He seated himself on the floor and pulled them off, Roy standing up,
leaning against the wall, and doing the same.

"What's that for?" said Ben.

"Coming with you. I want to know what the place is like."

"Oh, there's no need for two of us to go, sir. One's enough."

Roy said nothing, but followed the old fellow down eight stone steps,
and then they stood together against a door, which felt to the touch to
be very strongly made of stone, while, after a little searching about
for a keyhole, Ben said, with a grunt--

"Forgot! There aren't no key to this. It's fastened with these two
wooden bars."

"I thought they were part of the door, Ben," said Roy, in the same
suppressed tone.

"So did I, sir, at first. I ought to have remembered, and I think I do
now. Yes! that's the way; they turn on pins in the middle like wooden
buttons, and you turns one up and the other down out of the notches they
fit in, and then push the door, which has stone hinges."

As he spoke, Ben turned the two great wooden bars, and then pressed upon
the door.

"Hope the stones won't strike a light, sir," said Ben, in a low growl.

Roy felt as if a hand had suddenly compressed his heart, and he peered
wildly through the door-way, half expecting to see a tiny spark or two,
as a dull, grating sound arose; but the only sparks the door made were
those glittering in his own eyes, and he drew a deeper, harder breath as
the door ceased to move.

"Now, we've got to be careful, or we shall be hitting against one
another, sir! Let me see: there's one step down, and then you're in a
place like a dairy, with two sets of stone shelves,--one just above the
floor, to keep it out of the damp; the other just about as high as a
man's breast,--and there's kegs of powder piled-up on them all. You
stand still, and I'll go in."

"No; let me," said Roy, though why he said this puzzled the boy himself,
when the exciting minutes had passed.

"Well, sir, you're master, and if you'd rather, of course you can. But
I don't mind going if you like."

"I'll go," said Roy, huskily, and, stretching out his hands in the now
profound darkness, he felt for and touched the side of the entrance,
then made a step forward to place his stocking