"Poison," said Warren. "Meant for us." A little at a time he told the
newcomers the adventures of the past long hours.

After the blow on the bead Warren had lain unconscious for so long, and
when he finally roused the darkness and dungeon-like appearance of the
room so perplexed him, that he thought himself delirious. He was very
dizzy, and tried to sleep, feeling that if he could lose himself, he
would wake and find the whole thing a bad dream. Even when his sister
came and caressed him, he did not change his mind.

But finally full consciousness came, with all the suffering of his
hurts, as well as the dreadful anxiety about Elinor and Rika and the
seeming hopelessness of escape.

The boys all shook their heads when Ivan broke in to tell bow he had
given up the great ruby, only to be thought a thief. They listened
breathlessly when he told of the strange whisper that came so clearly
to his ears, and when they reached the account of the poison they
scarcely breathed.

"Yon couldn't see the rats, could you?" Warren asked Ivan.

"No!" said Ivan.

"Well," said Warren, "it queered me so I thought I wouldn't say
anything about it. After you threw the food off the table, I looked
down and presently something slipped out of the shadow. It was the
biggest rat you ever saw. Much bigger than any of those. He walked
around bold as anything, and I began to think what a big fellow like