Page:The House On The Cliff.pdf/159

 watch our step. It's going to be ticklish from now on."

"It can't be any more ticklish than it has been. I lived about ten years while that pair was in here."

They crossed the chamber and again opened the door. Cautiously, they stepped out on the landing, closed the door behind them, and again confronted the flight of steps.

"I'll go first," said Frank. "Stick close behind me."

He decided to turn out the flashlight, because it was barely possible that the smugglers might have a guard at the top of the stairs, in which event their approach would be discovered. So, in the inky blackness, they ascended, step after step.

They reached the top of the first flight of stairs and then they found themselves upon a crude landing of planks which ran along the side of the rock wall for some distance until it ended in another flight of steps.

Here the boys stopped again to listen. All was as silent as the tomb save for the distant pounding of the sea upon the cliff.

"I don't hear a sound," whispered Joe.

"Come on," came from his brother.

The passage through the rock was of considerable depth, and they went on up countless steps until their limbs were weary. They had