With a brave front the boys went into the dark passage. After going a few yards, they found themselves in complete darkness.
"I hope we shall not have to go far in this dark place," said Vasco.
Harlan pretended to give a careless reply, but, after he had stubbed his toes and scraped his shins on various obstacles in the path, he agreed that the adventure had its drawbacks.
Just then it occurred to Vasco that he had a supply of matches in his pocket. He scratched them one by one, thus faintly lighting the path. Then the boys were able to move forward more rapidly, and soon they came to what was evidently the foundation wall of the cathedral.
Through this wall was a low archway, which was blocked by what seemed to be a wooden barricade. There was no sign of a door.
"Well, we are really in trouble now," said Harlan.
"There's no doubt about that," replied Vasco as he put his shoulder to the partition. It did not budge, and the Panama lad was again inclined to give up the attempt to get into the cathedral.
"We may as well give up trying to get in this way," he said.
"Not yet," was Harlan's reply as they stood in the dark. "Strike another match, and let's see what this looks like, anyway."
Vasco scratched another match, and the two boys hastily looked over the stout planking. Not a crack nor a loose joint was to be seen.
Just before the match went out, Harlan glanced backward and spied upon the ground a stick of timber eight or ten feet long.
"Light another match," he shouted, darting toward the stick.
Lifting one end of it, he directed Vasco to take up the other end. It was not very easy for Vasco to do this and keep his match burning at the same time, but he managed to do so, though the light went out just as they reached the archway again.
"Let's batter down these old planks," said Harlan.
Together the boys began to pound at the barricade. Though Vasco was a small lad, compared with Harlan, his well-trained muscles, hardened and toughened by out-door life, came well into play.
Under such hammering as the boys were able to give, the planks began to loosen, and soon they made a hole large enough to crawl through.
Fortunately, this was in a remote part of the basement, and none heard the noise the boys had made. No one dreamed of putting a guard at this point. The entrance had been so long closed that nearly everybody had forgotten it.