You had better go first, sir. Be careful!"

He turned to depart with the words, still ignoring Dot. She was close to
Hill, and something impelled her to lay a restraining hand on his
shoulder as he took the first step down.

What followed happened with such stunning swiftness that her memory of
it ever afterwards was a confused jumble of impressions, like the wild
course of a nightmare.

She heard Warden swing round again in his tracks, but before she could
turn he had caught her and flung her backwards over his arm. With his
other hand simultaneously he dealt Hill a blow in the back that sent him
blundering down into the darkness, and then, with lightning rapidity, he
banged the door upon his captive. The lock sprang with the impact, but he
was not content with this. Still holding her, he dragged at a rough
handle above his head and by main strength forced down an iron shutter
over the locked door.

Then, breathing hard and speaking no word, he lifted her till she hung
across his shoulder, and started to run. She had not uttered a sound, so
stunned with amazement was she, so bereft of even the power to think. Her
position was one of utter helplessness. He held her with one arm as
easily as if she had been a baby. And she knew that in his free hand he
carried his revolver.

In her bewilderment she had not the faintest idea as to the direction he
took. She only knew that he ran like a hunted rat down many passages,
turning now this way, now that, till at last he plunged down an unseen
stairway and the sound of gurgling water reached her ears.