ple could have passed by any visible means.
At length, most unwillingly, Captain Askew told the men that he should
return into the Tower. The order was obeyed with wonderful alacrity,
and they were well pleased when he told them that he would be the last
man up. They were all soon out of the vault, and ready to assist him up
in the way he had gone down. He had to confess himself thoroughly
baffled. When he talked the subject over with Mrs Askew, they could
neither of them account for the way in which their dear child had been
so cruelly carried off, nor how Tom nor Charley had disappeared, and yet
they were fully convinced that human agency alone had been at work.

Meantime Becky had taken charge of the coasts guard men, and blind Peter
and John, and was able, in spite of her grief, to serve them with bread
and cheese and cider. As they continued to discuss the matter, Peter
was the only one who persisted in asserting that human agency alone had
been employed, while Sandy MacGregor as strongly maintained that spirits
of a very disreputable nature had a finger in the pie. That, however,
like other matters of mystery, was one day to receive a solution.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

THE SMUGGLER'S CAVE--TAKEN CAPTIVE--A TERRIBLE SITUATION.

As soon as Charley was joined by Tom, he commenced a more thorough
examination of the vault; but no outlets could they discover, and they
began to doubt whether their nocturnal visitors could have got through
it into the Tower. Could there be another passage independent
altogether of the vault? They went round and round and could find no
door or trap, or opening of any sort.

"I doubt if we are right, after all," observed Charley; "we must try and
find some other way down--for way there is, of that I am certain."

"We are right; still, though," answered Tom, "that ladder has had other
feet on it of late besides ours; and just let me see how the bolt of the
trap-door could have been fastened from below if there wasn't some one
to do it. It wasn't the ghosteses, I suppose, Mister Charles? and look
here--what's this?" he added, as stooping down he picked up another
small slipper, the fellow to the one which was known to be Margery's.

The sight of it induced Charley to renew his search, and directly
afterwards he discovered in one of the cells a ring, which looked, he
thought, as if it was intended to serve as a handle to a stone door. He
pulled it with all his strength, and slowly