Mr. Graybeard went with the first group and added to the ghostly atmosphere by posing near the safe. Behind him the paper skeleton dangled precariously from the ceiling.
When the last guest had inspected the little room and had gone back up the stairs to the alcove, Philip said to Graybeard, “Thanks for helping us out. You make a swell ghost. Who are you anyway?”
“Never mind,” said a cold, crisp voice. “Turn around and come down the steps with your hands up.”
With one swift gesture, Philip released the spring that closed the secret door. Then he turned to face the gun Graybeard was pointing at him.
Philip was caught in his own trap, but at least the man and his pistol could neither harm nor frighten the people on the other side of the door.
Philip came slowly down the steps. “So you’re our mysterious Mr. X,” he said coolly.
“Call me anything you like,” Graybeard said, taking Philip’s own pistol from his pocket. “Now open that safe.”
Philip shrugged. “Anything to oblige.” he said.
“And don’t try to pull any tricks,” Graybeard warned him. “Upstairs, two men I hired for the occasion are at this very moment relieving your guests of their excess jewelry and cash.”
So it was a planned robbery! And Graybeard’s henchmen had probably come disguised as cowboys, carrying real pistols in their holsters!
For a moment, Phil was paralyzed with worry about the girls. Penny and Marjorie were so impulsive! Would they submit quietly to a holdup? And Adra?
He felt sure that the older women, although they would be frightened at the sight of guns, would do nothing which might arouse the anger of armed criminals. But the girls!
The voice behind the mask repeated menacingly, “_Open that safe!_”
Philip quickly obeyed. There was nothing else to do. Peter had been right all along: They should have called on the police for help.
Philip twirled the dial and opened the door of the safe. “Help yourself,” he said curtly.
“I am very much engaged in watching you,” replied the man. Philip had no choice. He emptied the safe and handed its contents to the masked burglar.
There was a good sum of money, the payments of the guests for the week. It was mostly in checks and a great deal of the jewelry had been removed from the safe for the occasion. Philip was thanking his lucky stars that they didn’t keep too much cash, valuable articles or important papers. Philip tried to get a good look at the man’s face under his beard, but it and the mask over his nose and eyes completely hid his features.