"Not the least sound. But then I was away down cellar, and the floors are very heavy."
"And we were searching the upper floors," said Terry. "Of course you couldn't hear, Betty."
Up out of the cellar, sliding and slipping on the crumbling stone steps, came the men carrying an apparently lifeless form. They had found it by means of Betty's electric torch.
"Yes, it's Jim Danton," someone answered.
"We don't know yet," said Mr. Callahan. "We've got to get him to a doctor pretty quick."
"Well, at any rate," said Dorothy, "the mystery of the poor man's disappearance is solved, and I hope he isn't seriously injured."
One of the men who was standing near the girls turned to answer Dorothy.
"That doesn't explain it," he said. "Jim was working on the third floor, but _how_ did he get down in that cellar?"
Having carried the unconscious man out of the cellar, the men stood at the top of the steps leading down into the darkness, awkwardly holding their burden. The girls had a momentary glimpse of Jim Danton's face. There was blood on it. With a little shudder and murmur of horror Dorothy turned away.
"Can't we do something to help?" asked Terry.
"You ought to put him down--lay him down flat!" commanded Arden. "There may be broken bones! It isn't doing him any good to hold him all crumpled that way."
"He ought to have a doctor!" declared the contractor. "I wonder if it's best to try to get him home and have the doctor there or get a doctor here? Where's a telephone?"
"There isn't one anywhere near here," Betty volunteered.
"Then we'd best take him home," decided Mr. Callahan. "But how to do it? I let my partner take my car after he dropped me off here, and I don't know when he'll be back."
"I have a car!" Sim quickly interposed. "If one of you men will sit in the rumble seat and hold this man, I'll drive him home--if it isn't too far."
"Oh, he lives right here in Jockey Hollow," said the tall thin worker. "About two miles from here, down by Primrose Brook."
"I'll take him in my car, then," decided Sim. "One of you girls had better ride with me," she added in a lower voice.
"I will," Arden offered. "And I know a little about first aid, so maybe we can be of some help when we get this man home--before the doctor comes." The unfortunate man hadn't moved, nor did he seem even to breathe.