Yes, thats right, there would be steps there, said Dimmy. In the olden days small boys were sent up to sweep these big chimneys and sometimes steps were cut to help them. Can you get up them, Jack?
Jack thought he could. So up he went, choking over the years-old soot. The steps were very small, and came unexpectedly to a little opening off the chimney itself. Jack was sure that the door to the hidden passage was somewhere in that opening!
The stones and bricks were intermixed there and were rough to his hand. He pulled and pushed at each one,
hoping it would swing round and show him an opening beyond. But not until he suddenly slipped and bumped against a certain stone did anything move at all!
His shoulder fell against a stone that stood out from the rest. It gave under his weight, and seemed to swing round, giving a click as it did so. Jack quickly shone his torch on to it, and saw a small hole appearing in the wall of the chimney. He put his hand into the hole and felt an iron ring.
Ive found the entrance! Ive found it! he yelled down the chimney. He pulled hard at the iron ring, and felt the stone to which it was fastened move a little; but no matter how hard Jack pulled he could not make the stone move any farther.
He climbed down the chimney, and the girls cried out in horror when they saw his black face and hands. He grinned at them, and his teeth shone white in his mouth.
Dimmy, well have to get George to help us, he said. I think the entrance-stone is stiff with the years that have gone by since it was last used. If we got George to bring a thick rope and fasten it to the iron ring Ive found up there, we could swing the stone round all right and see the entrance to the passage. The stone has moved just a little - I can see the crack with my torch where it should come away from its place.
George is working in the garden this afternoon, said Dimmy joyfully. We can get him easily. No, Jack, no, dont you go and get him - you look so awful!
But Jack was gone. He sped down the staircase and out into the garden. George was busy digging up potatoes. Jack burst on him, crying, George, George, come quickly!
George looked up in surprise, and saw a black, grinning creature running towards him. He got a tremendous shock and dropped his spade. It took him quite a minute before he would believe that the black creature was his friend Jack!
Talking eagerly and telling George things that astonished the farm-lad greatly, Jack led him up the stone staircase to the girls bedroom.
Has he brought a rope? cried Nora.
George nearly always had a rope tied two or three times round his waist. He gaped at the two girls and Miss Dimmy, and then said, Wheres Mike?
You havent been listening! said Jack impatiently. I was telling you all the way up.
Let me tell him, said Dimmy, seeing that George really was thinking that everyone was quite mad. So she told him the whole story as shortly as possible. George nodded his head solemnly every now and again. He didnt really seem astonished now that he knew everything, but his eyes gleamed when he heard that Dimmy wanted him to go up the chimney and tie his rope to the iron ring.
Id like to get Mike back all right, said George, undoing the rope round his middle. It proved to be very long and very strong. He disappeared into the chimney with Jacks torch. Jack tried to climb up after him, he was so impatient, but came down at once, his eyes and mouth full of soot kicked down by Georges enormous boots.
George found the iron ring in the little opening and knotted his rope in it. The end fell down the chimney to the hearth like a brown snake. George jumped down.
Now well all pull, he said, with his slow, wide smile. So they all pulled - and the rope gave a little as the big stone above swung round and back, leaving just enough room for anyone to squeeze through.
Jack climbed up the chimney again and gave a shout as he saw the dark opening. Oh, the secret passage is here all right! Come on, all of you!
Poor Dimmy! She was really horrified at seeing everyone go up that dirty, sooty old chimney and getting as black as negroes - but even she went up too, just to see what kind of a secret passage it could be!
George had squeezed through the opening that was made when one big stone had swung out of its place. It had been cunningly built on a kind of swivel set in the next stone, and when weight was put on to the iron ring the stone swung round.
A very narrow way led round the back of the chimney - so narrow that George had to walk sideways to make himself small enough. Then he came to an iron ladder set at his feet, disappearing down into the darkness. He called back to the children.
Theres a ladder here, going downwards. I reckon theres an outer wall and an inner wall to part of this tower, and thats where the passage is! The rest of the tower wall is solid.
Down the narrow iron ladder they all went. They had to hold their torches in their teeth, for they needed both their hands. Dimmy had no torch, so she stood at the top of the ladder, waiting for them all to return.