"Let him stay in the canoe. I shall probably go to the north island after this fracas is over."
Silently Chot and Truem stole up the passageway toward the house, admiring the construction of the place as they went. It was at least six feet in height, made entirely of concrete, and about fifty feet in length.
They could see the entire length of the passageway up to where it took a sharp turn, as they judged, directly under the lodge. The smugglers were nowhere in sight.
"They must have gone into a room of some sort, either next to or under the basement," whispered Chot.
This impression was confirmed a moment later when they came to a huge oak door which effectually blocked the passage.
"Why, this is just what we're looking for," said Truem. "See here, Chot; we can fasten this from the outside, and the smugglers can never get out unless they batter it down, and they won't try that if we let them know we're waiting out here for them."
"A good idea," said Chot. "Can you fasten it?"
Truem nodded and fastened the door by means of a massive hook. Then the boys sat down on the stone floor of the tunnel to await developments.
In the meantime, the boys in the basement were waiting expectantly for the coming of the smugglers. They had seen Chot and Hoki leave the lodge, and knew the time was approaching for the capture they had planned.
What bothered them greatly, was the way the smugglers would enter the basement, and to guard against a surprise, they decided to separate; so Pod was stationed on the steps leading above in easy reach of the electric button, Fleet crouched in the corner near where the canned fruit was stored, and Tom in another corner back of the stairway and a few feet beyond the speaking tube.
The boys pictured in their minds a plan of the cellar and the relative positions of each other, then Tom gave the signal for lights out and Pod turned the button which flooded the cellar with darkness. On the cry, "Lights!" from Tom, he was to turn the button again, when the boys would cover the smugglers with their revolvers and demand their surrender.
Their plan thoroughly mapped out in this fashion, they became silent.
Some minutes passed before they had any sign of the approach of the smugglers. Then they heard the creaking of door hinges. Just where this door was located they could not determine, but it seemed beneath the basement. Then they could hear voices discussing something in low tones.