voice was raised, which merely served to whet his curiosity still
farther.

He eyed the handle of the door tentatively. Could he turn it by
degrees so gently and imperceptibly that those in the room would
notice nothing? He decided that with great care it could be
done. Very slowly, a fraction of an inch at a time, he moved it
round, holding his breath in his excessive care. A little more--a
little more still--would it never be finished? Ah! at last it
would turn no farther.

He stayed so for a minute or two, then drew a deep breath, and
pressed it ever so slightly inward. The door did not budge.
Tommy was annoyed. If he had to use too much force, it would
almost certainly creak. He waited until the voices rose a little,
then he tried again. Still nothing happened. He increased the
pressure. Had the beastly thing stuck? Finally, in desperation,
he pushed with all his might. But the door remained firm, and at
last the truth dawned upon him. It was locked or bolted on the
inside.

For a moment or two Tommy's indignation got the better of him.

"Well, I'm damned!" he said. "What a dirty trick!"

As his indignation cooled, he prepared to face the situation.
Clearly the first thing to be done was to restore the handle to
its original position. If he let it go suddenly, the men inside
would be almost certain to notice it, so, with the same infinite
pains, he reversed his former tactics. All went well, and with a