“Are you acquainted with the interior arrangement of this building?” I asked the priest in some anxiety.

“I was within it only once, and observed little of its features.  I was called there in haste to speak words of peace to a sorely injured man.”

“Could you guide to the ladder leading up to the second floor in the dark?”

I thought he gave a gesture of dissent, yet so dense was the night I could barely note the movement.

“I am not certain, my son, yet to my remembrance it leadeth up near the centre upon the river side.  The building is doubtless empty of all its cotton at this time of year, and we should be able to feel our way across if only once within.  How do you purpose gaining entrance?”

“Pah! that is the simplest portion of the whole venture,” I said confidently.  “I am not likely to overlook such a point.  The third window from here has a loosened shutter; I brought this stick to pry it apart.  Then the interior will be ours, unless they keep a watchman stationed within.”

“Thou needst have small fear of that at this late season, and the building empty.”

We crept cautiously forward, myself in the lead, and feeling blindly in the darkness for the loosened shutter previously located.  At last my groping hand touched it, and drawing the bottom outward as far as possible by mere grip of the fingers, I inserted the stout oaken bar within the aperture, and, after listening intently to detect any presence close at hand, exerted my strength upon the rude lever.  There followed a slight rasping, as if a wire dragged along a nail,—­a penetrating shrillness there was to it which sent a tingle to the nerves,—­then the heavy shutter swung outward, leaving ample space for the passage of a man’s body.  I lifted myself by my hands and peered cautiously within.  Everywhere was impenetrable blackness, while the silence was so profound as to give a sudden strange throb to my heart.  Waiting no longer, I drew myself up on to the narrow ledge; then hung downward until my groping feet touched the floor.  Once safely landed I leaned forth again, and in another moment the priest stood beside me, the shutter tightly drawn behind us.  With a feeling of relief I faced that black interior.  Now, at least, we were beyond chance of discovery by any prowling Spanish guard, and could advance more freely.

“Lead on,” I commanded shortly, resting my hand upon his shoulder to make sure of his presence.  “I will keep hold upon your robe, so we shall not part company in the darkness.”

Very slowly we felt uncertain passage across the uneven floor.  It appeared littered with innumerable articles of the box and barrel order, with here and there a pile of loose lumber, altogether making such a jumble of obstruction that keeping our direction became simply impossible in that intense darkness which seemed to fairly swallow us.  We did well to proceed at all, and escape creating a racket by stumbling over some of the many unseen obstacles in our path.  As to myself, I became so thoroughly confused by constant turning and climbing as to grow completely lost, but fortunately the priest kept a somewhat clearer brain, and, after groping blindly for some time, pausing occasionally as though he would smell his way like a dog, managed to put hand at last upon the object of his patient search.