handkerchief around it. One discovery, at least, he had made; the
building, whatever it was, was old. The smell of the board sides
informed him of that much. And there was no flooring.

He now stood thinking, wondering what he should do next. And as he
paused he heard a sound near him. A sound as of quick, low breathing. In
the open such a sound would not have been audible, but in the ghostly
darkness of that strange prison he could hear it clearly when he
listened. Sometimes he could distinguish the momentary pauses between
the breaths and sometimes the faint sound seemed continuous. As he
listened in silent, awful terror, the thumping of his heart seemed to
interrupt the steady, low sound.

It was not normal breathing surely, but it was the sound of breathing.
He was certain of that. He thought it was over near the car.




CHAPTER IX

THE TENTH CASE


The thought that there was a living presence in that spooky dungeon
struck terror to Pee-wee's very soul. He could not bring himself to
move, much less to speak. But he could not stand idly where he was, and
if he should stumble over a human form in that unknown blackness....
What could be more appalling than that? Was this uncanny place a prison
for poor, injured captives? Was there, lying just a few feet from him,