“Then there is no way to keep them out of the chateau?” cried Genevra anxiously.

“They can go no farther than this room,” explained Selim.  “We lock the double iron doors from the other side—­the door through which you came, most glorious excellency—­and they cannot enter the cellars above.  This is the chamber which opens into the underground passage to the coast.  The passage was made for escape from the chateau in case of trouble and was known to but few.  My father was the servant of Sahib Wyckholme, and I used to live in the chateau.  We came to the island when I was a baby.  My father had been with the sahib in Africa.  I came to know of this passage, for my father and my mother were to go with the masters if there was an attack.  Five years ago I was given a place in the company’s office, and I never came up here after my parents died of the plague.  We were—­”

“The plague!” cried the Princess.

“It was said to have been the plague,” said Selim bitterly.  “They died in great convulsions while spending the night in the Khan.  That’s the inn of Aratat, excellencies.  The great sahibs sent their stomachs away to be examined—­”

“Never mind, Selim,” said Chase.  “Tell us about the passage there.”

“Once there was a boat—­a launch, which lay hidden below the cliffs on the north coast.  The passage led to this boat.  It was always ready to put out to sea.  But one night it was destroyed by the great rocks which fell from the cliffs in an earthquake.  When I came here, I at once thought of the passage.  You will see that the doors into the cellar cannot be opened from this chamber; the locks and bolts are on the other side.  I knew where the keys were hidden.  It was easy to unlock the doors and come into this room.  I found that some one had been here before me.  The door to the passage had been forced open from without—­cracked by dynamite.  Many of the treasure boxes have been removed.  Von Blitz was here not an hour ago.  He wears boots.  I saw the footprints among the naked ones in the passage.  They will come back for the other chests.  Then they will blow up the passage way with powder and escape from the chateau through it will be cut off.  I have found the kegs of powder in the passage and have destroyed the fuses.  It will be of no avail, sahib.  They will blow it up at the other end, which will be just the same.”

“There’s no time to be lost,” cried Chase.  “We must bring enough men down here to capture them when they return—­shoot ’em if necessary.  Come on!  We can surprise them if we hurry.”

They were starting across the chamber toward the door, when a gruff, sepulchral oath came rolling up to the chamber through the secret passage.  Quick as a flash Selim, who realised that they could not reach and open the door leading to the stairs, turned in among the huge wine casks, first blinding his lantern.  He whispered for the others to follow.  In a moment they were squeezing themselves through the narrow spaces between the dark, strong-smelling casks, back into a darkness so opaque that it seemed lifeless.  Selim halted them in a recess near the wall and there they huddled, breathlessly awaiting the approach of the invaders.