me, man."

"No, sir, and nobody else could, talking like that."

"No, of course not. That's why I said could I trust you. Scar and Sir
Godfrey and Nat must be all safe."

"Do you know what you are talking about, sir, or are you a bit off your
head?"

"I'm as clear-headed as you are, man. Look there!"

"Yes, sir, I'm a-looking, and there's a heap o' sere 'ood with a bit of
a hole in it."

"Yes; some one has been through there."

"What, do you think he has made himself another hole?"

"Yes, Samson."

Fred gave a quick, excited look round, but they were alone in the patch
of forest.

"Yes, sir, I'm a-listening."

"There's a secret passage leads from there right up to the Hall."

"Secret grandmother, sir!"

"There is, I tell you," cried Fred, with his voice trembling from
excitement. "Scar and I found it one day, and traced it right to the
edge of the lake."

"Not gammoning me, are you, sir?"

"No, no, Samson."

"You didn't dream all this?"

"No, I tell you. We found it by accident, and when we were looking for
the end we found that hole where that fallen tree had broken a way into
the passage. We piled up all those branches to hide the place."

"Well, you stun me, Master Fred. And you think our Nat heard 'em there,
and has gone to jine 'em?"

"He found them, or they found him. Hist!"

Fred crept close to the heap of dead wood, a portion of which,
sufficient for a man to creep through, had been removed, and pressing as
far in as he could, he made a trumpet of his hands and cried softly--

"Any one there?"

Samson had followed close to him, and he listened to his master's voice
as it seemed to go in a hollow whisper echoing along under the earth.

"Well, it do stun me," he said, taking off his morion for a fresh
scratch.

"Is any one there?" cried Fred again, as loudly as he dared; and there
was no response. "Scar! Nat! Sir Godfrey!" he cried again; and after
pausing to listen each time for a reply which did not come, he turned at
last to encounter Samson's dubious face.

"Hope you're right, sir!" he said.

"Yes, man, certain. You see? You can hear?"

"Yes, sir, I can hear; and I suppose there's a sort of drain there."

"Drain, man? I tell you it's a secret passage."

"Maybe, sir; but that don't prove they are hiding in it."

"But they must be," cried Fred, excitedly. "Scar knew of it. They were
cut off by the fire. They took refuge there, and I am sure they are
hidin