The
other he flung out in a threatening gesture.
"You've given me away to these bloodhounds!" he cried,--"you, for whom I
have toiled and slaved, whom I have followed all over the world, whom I
have served faithfully with the last breath of my body and the last drop
of blood in my veins! You have brought them here--tracked me down! You!"
The Professor shook his head sorrowfully.
"Craig," he said, "you have been the best servant man ever had. If you are
innocent of these crimes, you can clear yourself. If you are guilty, a
dog's death is none too good for you."
Craig seemed to sway for a moment upon his feet. Only Lenora, from the
hall, saw that he was fitting his right foot into what seemed to be a
leather loop hanging from the banisters. Then a wild shout of surprise
broke from the lips of all of them, followed by a moment of stupefied
wonder. The whole staircase suddenly began to revolve. Craig, clinging to
the banisters, disappeared. In a moment or two there was a fresh click.
Another set of stairs, almost identical to the first, had taken their
place.
"The cellar!" Quest shouted, as he rushed down the stairs. "Quick!"
They wrenched open the wooden door and hurried down the dark steps into
the gloomy, unlit cellar. The place was crowded with packing-cases, and
two large wine barrels stood in the corner. At the farther end was a door.
Quest rushed for it and stood on guard. A moment later, however, he called
to Laura and pressed his revolver into her hand.
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