an open cupboard.

"Now, you come along, no fuss and no hurt," advised the late guide, as
they raised the boy. They conducted him through into a rear room, where
one of the pair raised a trap-door in the floor.

"Now, this is easy," smiled one of the pair, pointing to the darkness
under the open trap.

"We have take ladder away, but you can drop. Not far."

Then, seeing a look of alarm flit across the boy's face, the fellow
laughed, adding:

"No hurt. All right. See?"

He dropped a stone through the trapway. It fell on ground underneath,
nor did the distance down appear to be more than a few feet.

"Cellar, that's all," grinned the Italian, reassuringly. "Now, drop,
and we not hurt you. No danger. In two, three, four hour we put down
ladder and let you up. Keep you here little while; that's all."

Of course Jack Benson could have tried to put up a fight, but he knew he
would easily be beaten. Besides, these men, smiling and polite as they
now appeared, might have tempers bad enough to lead them to resort to
Italian steel, if they had to do it. Therefore Jack nodded, then knelt
at the trapway, and next, with an inward prayer, let himself drop down
into the darkness. He landed on damp, soft earth.

"Good boy!" called one of the Italians, the lantern lighting his smiling
face as it appeared framed by the trapway for an instant. "Not so very
long to wait. Let you out so you go home, bimeby."

Then the trapdoor was gently put tack in place, after which Jack heard
the click of a padlock above to secure the barrier in place.

Young Benson got upon his feet, stretched to make sure he was unhurt,
then broke forth, under his breath:

"Of all the prize fools in the world, commend me to Jack Benson! Here,
at the request of a perfect stranger, I've taken a long walk this night,
just in order to place myself wholly in the hands of men who, however
mild they may be in their piracy, certainly wish me no good. Oh, you,
Jack! Oh, you blooming, prize idiot!"

Then he smiled grimly, wondering. From what had happened so far he felt
inclined to believe the smiling rascals above. Had they intended worse
violence, they had had abundant opportunity to show it.

"Of course, they're probably stretching a point when they say I'm to be
here only three or four hours," reflected the boy. "Yet, now I'm here,
I imagine I'll have to remain here until they're pleased to let me out.
But--will I, though?"

Overhead, a