Page:Augusta Seaman--Jacqueline of the carrier pigeons.djvu/242

216 That same night Gysbert removed the tiles and piece of plank from the hole he had dug  in the flooring. Leaning over it the children strove to gather, from any sounds they might  hear, what was going on beneath them. It was destined that they should hear something that night which while it enlightened  them upon several points hitherto inscrutable,  served in no way to add to their peace of  mind. The room just under theirs was evidently one that was not often used, for it seemed to be dark and deserted. Presently however, a light shown through the cracks in  the ceiling, someone was heard moving about,  and voices whispered words that could not be  distinguished. At length the sentence, “He is even now coming!” penetrated up through  the ceiling, and there was another silence. Then the neighing of horses was heard outside. A loud tramping of heavily shod feet resounded on the wooden floors, the door of  the room below opened, and three people entered.