cellar. But at length he mustered
his strength and rose, rather giddily, to his feet.

"Well, this is the limit of tough luck," he complained. "If I don't get
out of here before to-morrow, when that steamer sails, the code will
have gone for good. If only I'd cut away sooner. Confound that Italian.
He spoiled it all with his stupidity."

Besides being pitch dark, the place was full of cobwebs. To add to
Jack's discomfort, a spider occasionally dropped on him. Suddenly
overhead sounded footsteps and voices.

"Somebody lives up there," he thought. "If I could only attract their
attention."

He shouted but nobody answered, although he tried it at intervals for
some hours. At last he gave up and sat down on the pile of straw to
think. He was very thirsty and his mouth and eyes were full of coal dust
and dirt. The roof of the cellar was so low, too, that in moving about
he bumped his head-against the beams.

Suddenly he remembered that he had some matches. To strike a light was
the work of a moment. Then he located the door. But all his efforts
failed to make it budge. He struck another light and this time he made a
discovery.

"Gee whiz, that looks like a trap-door just above me," he decided.

He raised his hands and the cut-out square in the flooring came up with
ease. Jack scrambled up into a kitchen. In one corner was a ladder, no
doubt used when the occupants wished to enter the cellar. Through one of
the windows daylight was streaming, the gray light of early dawn.

"Great Scott! I've been down there all night," ejaculated the boy.

He was considering his next step when a large woman, with stout red
arms, came into the kitchen. Her husband had to be at work early and she
was about to prepare his breakfast. She had a florid, disagreeable face.

"What are you after doing here?" she demanded, picking up a heavy
rolling pin.

"I'm trying to get out of this house. Will you show me the way?"

"Indade and I will not. I'll hand yez over ter the perlice." She raised
her voice.

"Pat! Pat! come here at onct."

"Phwat's the mather?" came from another room.

"Thare's a thafe forninst the kitchen. Get ther perlice. I'll hold
him--he's only a gossoon."

"Are you crazy?" demanded Jack. "I was locked in that cellar by some
rascals and got out through your trap-door."

"Tell that to the marines," sneered the woman, as she made a grab for
him.

Jack wrenched himself away and dodged a blow from the rolling-pin. Th