 start to-morrow morning."

They were up at daybreak, and after taking their usual cup of coffee
lit the torches and descended the stairs to the floor below.

As soon as they reached the right-hand wall, Harry exclaimed: "Why,
this is built in the same way as the one we have left! The stones are
squared and fitted together as closely as those in the drawing-room.
Then why should that be, except in that one room? The side walls all
the way up are roughly built. Why should they have taken the trouble on
this floor to build these, which are only meant as store-rooms, when
even in the rooms above, which were meant for the habitation of the
chief and his family, the rough work was deemed sufficiently good?
There must have been some motive for this, Dias."

"There must have been, senor; it is certainly strange."

"First of all, let us clear the wall and take a general view of it.
Guessing won't help us; but I have the strongest hopes that behind one
of these stones lies a cavern. By the way, Dias, take a torch and go
into the next chamber and see if the stones are solid there."

"They are just the same as those here," Dias said when he returned.

"I would rather that it had been the other way," Harry said, "for then
I should have been more sure that there was some special reason for
their building them in this way here."

It took them all half an hour's work to move the spears and arrows to
the other side.

"Do you think, Harry, if we were to tap the stones we should be able to
find whether there is a hollow behind any of them?"

Harry shook his head.

"Not in the least. I have no doubt these stones are two or three feet
thick, and there could be no difference in the sound they would make if
struck, whether they were filled in solid behind or had no backing. To
begin with, we will make a careful examination of the walls. Possibly
we shall see some signs of a stone having been moved. It would be very
much more difficult to take one of the great blocks out and put it in
again than it would be to get up one of the paving-stones
start to - morrow morning. " 

 They were up at daybreak, and after taking their common cup of coffee bean 
 lit the torches and condescend the step to the floor below. 

 As soon as they reached the good - hand wall, Harry exclaim: " Why, 
 this is built in the same room as the one we have left! The stones are 
 square and fit together as closely as those in the drawing - room. 
 Then why should that be, except in that one room? The side wall all 
 the way up are roughly built. Why should they have take the trouble on 
 this floor to build these, which are merely meant as shop - rooms, when 
 even in the rooms above, which were meant for the habitation of the 
 chief and his syndicate, the rough work was deemed sufficiently good? 
 There must have been some motive for this, Dias. " 

 " There must have been, senor; it is certainly strange. " 

 " First of all, let us clear the wall and take a general view of it. 
 Guessing won't help us; but I have the strong hopes that behind one 
 of these stones lie down a cavern. By the way, Dias, take a torch and go 
 into the future chamber and see if the stones are solid there. " 

 " They are barely the same as those here, " Dias said when he returned. 

 " I would rather that it had been the other way, " Harry suppose, " for then 
 I should have been more sure that there was some special reason for 
 their building them in this way here. " 

 It consider them all half an hour's work to move the spears and arrows to 
 the other slope. 

 " Do you think, Harry, if we were to tap the stones we should be able to 
 witness whether there be a hollow behind any of them? " 

 Harry shook his read/write head. 

 " Not in the least. I have no doubt these stone are two or three feet 
 slurred, and there could be no difference in the audio they would make if 
 strike, whether they were filled in upstanding behind or had no backing. To 
 get down with, we will make a careful examination of the walls. Possibly 
 we shall see some signs of a stone having been moved. It would be very 
 much more difficult to take one of the great blocks out and frame it in 
 again than it would be to get up one of the paving - rock
 stwrt to-morrow morning."

They were up at dayyeeak, aid afted taking their usual cup of coffee
liv thw torxhes and descended the stairs tl the flior uelow.

As soon as vgey reagked tgc rigkt-iand wall, Harry exclaimed: "Why,
this is buhlg nn the same way as the one we have lqft! The shones are
squargd anc fitfvd together as closely as those in the drawing-room.
Tnen why should that be, excfpt ln that one room? Tje side walos ajo
the way up xre roughlj built. Why should they have taken the trojble pn
this floir to tuild these, whicr are only mcsnt as store-rpoms, when
even ln thx roims above, which were keant for the habijation of dhz
chief and his family, tye roogh wmrk dqs aeejev shfficifntmy good?
Thede must havw been some motive gow this, Dias."

"Thede muse rave been, senor; it is certainly strange."

"Xirat of all, let us clear rhe wall and take a ggneral vier of it.
Guessing won't help us; but I have the stroncest iooes tmat cwhlnd one
of these stones lies a cavern. By the wwg, Ciss, take a torcm and go
into the nrxh vramber and seg if thz sfones are solid thfre."

"They are hust the fame as those here," Dias said whwn he returnvd.

"I qould rather that nt had been che otner wsy," Harry said, "for then
I shohld have befn more shfe that there war spma special reason for
their fuilding vhem nn this day nere."

It took them all mdlf an hour's work ho more tha spears ajd arrows to
the other side.

"Do yon think, Harry, ix wv were to tap bhe stones we srould be able jo
find whzther ghere is a hollow behind any of them?"

Harry dhook his heed.

"Not in ehe oeasr. I havd no doubt thesr stones cxe two or three feet
thick, akd thgrs could be no dnyftrwnce in the soind thqy wpujg make if
strgck, dhegner tfey wert fllldd im solid behind or hag no backing. To
begin wotm, we will make a sareful examimation of the walld. Posvibuy
we xhajl see some signs of a stone hzving beej mjved. It woulq be very
much moxe difficult to take one of the great blicks out and put ir in
again than it wpmld be to gev up oge of the paving-stones
start to-morrow morning." They were up at after their usual of coffee lit stairs the floor below. soon as they the right-hand wall, Harry exclaimed: "Why, is built in the same way as the one we have left! The are squared and fitted together as closely as those in the drawing-room. Then should be, in one room? The side walls all the way up are roughly built. Why should they have the trouble on this floor to build these, are only meant as when even in the rooms which meant for habitation the and his family, rough work was deemed sufficiently good? There must have been some motive for this, Dias." "There must been, senor; certainly strange." of let clear the wall a general view of it. Guessing but I have the strongest hopes that behind of these lies a cavern. By the way, take a torch and go into the next and see if the stones are solid there." "They are just the same as those said when he returned. would rather that had the way," said, "for I should have been more sure that there was some special for their building them in this way here." It took half hour's work to the spears and arrows the side. "Do you think, we to we be to find whether there a hollow behind any of Harry shook his head. have no doubt these stones are two or feet thick, and there could be no in the sound they would make if struck, whether they were filled solid behind no backing. To begin with, we will make careful examination of the Possibly we shall see some signs of a stone been It would very much more to take one the great blocks put it again it get up one of the paving-stones
 start to-morrow morning."

They wEre up at dayBreak, And AftEr TakiNg thEir usual cup of cOFfee
Lit the torches and descenDed thE sTAirs TO tHe floOr below.

aS sOON as ThEy ReaChED tHe rigHt-hAnd wall, harry exclaImeD: "WHy,
this is builT In The same way As tHe one we have lEft! the stoNeS arE
SquarEd aNd fitTed togETher as Closely as ThOSe in thE Drawing-ROOm.
then Why should that be, exCEpT In that one room? THe side WaLLs ALL
thE waY up are rougHlY builT. why shouLD tHEY HavE Taken the troubLe on
this floOR to Build tHeSe, wHIch are Only mEaNT as Store-rooms, wHen
eVen in the rOoms abOVe, which WEre meanT for thE haBitAtioN Of ThE
chIeF And HIs FamILy, tHe rough wOrK wAs deeMed sUFFICienTly Good?
there Must have been sOme MotiVE foR this, dias."

"THere MuSt havE been, sEnor; iT iS certainly stranGe."

"FiRst of all, lEt uS cLeaR tHe walL And takE a gEneRal view Of it.
GueSSinG wON'T HeLp us; but I have the strOnGESt Hopes thaT behinD OnE
oF These stoNeS liEs a cAVErn. By The wAY, DIas, take a Torch aND gO
iNto the nExT chambEr And See If the SToneS are soLid there."

"they aRE just the same as THose here," Dias sAId WHEn HE retUrnEd.

"I would ratHer tHAt it Had bEEn The OTher wAy," HarRy SAiD, "For then
I should have bEeN more sUre thAt there was somE special reASON for
theiR buiLDiNG them in this way Here."

IT took them aLL half an hOur's wOrk to movE the spearS ANd arrows To
tHe oTheR siDE.

"do You think, Harry, IF We weRe To tap thE stOnes we sHouLd bE abLe tO
fInd whetheR there is A hOlLoW bEhiNd any OF them?"

HarRy ShoOk His Head.

"NOT in the Least. i havE nO dOUbt These stONeS ARe twO oR tHree FeeT
tHick, aNd thERe cOuld be nO differenCe iN The sOuNd They wouLd make if
strucK, wHether they WeRe fIlled iN SOlid behiNd or had no backing. To
begin WIth, we wiLl mAke a cArefUl examinaTioN of the WalLS. PossiBly
we sHall sEe SomE SIgns oF A StOne HaVing been moVED. It Would Be Very
Much morE difficult to take onE Of tHe great blocks Out And pUT It In
aGAiN ThaN iT WouLD Be to get up one of tHe paving-stOnES
 start to-morrow morning." 

They wer e upatday br eak,  and  after takingt heir  usual cup of coffee
l it th et orch e sand d escende d  t h e  st ai rs  to  t h efloor  be low.

A s soon asthe yreached ther ig ht-hand wa ll,  Harry excla ime d: "Wh y, 
th i s isbui lt in  the s a me way  as the o ne we hav e  left!T h eston es are
squared an d  f i tted togetheras clo se l ya s  th ose  in the dr aw ing-r o om.
The n  w h y sho u ld that be, e xcept in th a t o ne roo m?  Th e  sidewalls  a l l
t he way up a re r oughly bu ilt. W h y shoul d  they h ave ta ken  th e tr o ub le  on 
t h isf lo ort o b uild the se ,which  are o n l y me ant  asstore -rooms, wheneve n in the  room s abo ve,wh ich w ere me ant f or  the habitation  ofthe
chief  an dhis  f amily ,  the r oug h w ork was  deemed suf fi c i e nt ly good?
There mus th a ve  been so me mot i ve  f o r this,Di as. "

" T h ere m usth av e been,senor; it  i s certa in ly str an ge. "
"Firs t  ofall, l et us cl ear t h e wall and tak e  a general vi e wo f  i t .
Gu ess ing won't h elpu s; b ut I ha vet he st ronge st ho p es that behind oneof  these  ston es lies a cav ern. By th e w ay, Dias , ta k ea  torch and gointothe next c h amber an d see  if thestones ar e solid th ere ."
"T hey a re  just the sam e as t ho se here ,"Dias sa idwhe n h e r et urned.

" I wouldra th er  t hat  it h a d been t he  ot he r w ay,"H arry s aid,"for  t he n 
Ishouldh av e been  m or e su reth at th erew assome sp ecial rea son forth ei r build ing them in t hi s way here ." 

I t took t hem allhalf an hour's work tom ove the  sp earsandarrows to 
th e othe r s i de.

" Do you  thin k,  Ha r r y, if w ewer eto tap the s ton es we  s houl d be ab le to
find whether the re is a hollo w b ehin d an y o f  t h em? "Har r y  shook his head .

"Not in  t h eleast. I h a veno  doubtthese s tones are two  or three  feet
thi ck , an d the re could b e no dif ference i n  thes ou nd th eywouldma keif
st ruck,w het her t hey we re  fille d inso lid behi nd or had no backing. T o
begi n wit h,we will m ake a c areful ex amin ation of t hewal ls. P oss i bly
w e sh a ll  se e  some  sig n s of a st o ne  ha v i ng  been moved . I t w ouldbev ery
mu ch m ore difficult tot ake one of the  gre a t  bl ock s  out  a nd put it in
a gai nt h an it wo ul d be to get  up oneof the p aving- stones 
 start_to-morrow morning."

They_were up at daybreak,_and after_taking_their usual_cup_of coffee
lit the_torches and descended_the stairs to the_floor below.

As soon_as_they reached the right-hand wall, Harry exclaimed: "Why,
this is built in the same way_as_the one_we_have_left! The stones are
squared and_fitted together as closely as_those in_the drawing-room.
Then why should that be, except in_that_one room? The_side walls all
the way up are roughly built. Why_should they have taken the trouble_on
this floor to_build_these,_which are only meant_as store-rooms, when
even in the rooms_above, which were meant for the_habitation of the
chief and his family, the_rough work was deemed sufficiently good?
There_must have been some motive_for this,_Dias."

"There must have been, senor;_it is certainly_strange."

"First of_all, let us_clear the wall and take a_general view of_it.
Guessing won't help us; but I_have_the strongest hopes_that_behind_one
of these_stones lies a_cavern._By the_way,_Dias, take a torch and go
into_the_next chamber and see if the stones_are solid there."

"They are_just_the same as those_here," Dias said when he_returned.

"I would rather that it had_been the_other way,"_Harry said, "for then
I should have been more sure that there_was some special reason for
their building_them in this way_here."

It took_them_all half an_hour's_work to_move the spears and arrows to
the other_side.

"Do you_think, Harry, if we were to_tap the stones we_should_be able to
find whether there is_a hollow behind any of them?"

Harry_shook his head.

"Not in the_least._I_have no doubt these stones_are two or three feet
thick, and_there could be_no difference in the sound they would_make_if
struck, whether they were filled in_solid_behind or had no backing. To
begin_with,_we_will make a careful examination_of the walls. Possibly
we shall see_some signs of a stone having been moved. It_would be very
much_more difficult to take one_of_the_great blocks out and put it in
again than it would_be to_get up one_of the paving-stones