He jumped to the door, and there, in the
dim light of the stairway leading down to the Graveyard of Genius, he
saw a knot of men carrying another man, who was evidently helpless.
Locke started forward, but they were gone.
Eva hurried up-stairs to her father's room, fearing something was wrong.
"Father's gone!" she cried, despairingly.
Locke threw himself full against the door at the head of the cellar
stairs which the men had slammed shut. He tried to batter it down, but
it was too strongly built. Then he drew his revolver and with the barrel
started to push out the pins from the hinges. He worked feverishly and
succeeded in driving the top pin out. Then, using it as a lever, he was
able to pull the door from its frame.
He dashed down the stairs, but was late by only the fraction of a
second, as a metal hand was just closing the huge door to the Graveyard
of Genius. He fumbled at the secret combination, and as he was doing so
Eva and Zita joined him.
The door swung open and they rushed through. But the place was deserted.
"They've carried your father through some secret passage," exclaimed
Locke.
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