"They have only one way to run away," whispered Holmes. "That is back through the house into Saxe-Coburg Square. I hope that you have done what I asked you, Jones."
"Yes, I have an inspector and two officers waiting at the front door."
"Then we have closed all the holes. And now we must be silent and wait."
What a long time it seemed! We waited for an hour and a quarter, but it seemed to me much longer. I was tired, but I was afraid to move my body. I could hear the gentle breathing of my guys. I looked at the floor. Suddenly I saw a light.
At first it was only a small light on the stone floor. Thenitbecame a yellow line, and then, without any sound, a hole opened and a hand appeared. For a minute or more the hand pointed up through the floor. Then it disappeared and all was dark again except the small light between the stones.
Then there was a loud sound and one of the big, white stones turned over and left a square hole. A clean-cut, boyish face looked out of the hole. He climbed out and was soon standing at the side of the hole. He then helped his guy, a small man with lots of very red hair.
"It's all clear," he whispered. "Have you got everything? My god! Run away, Archie, run away."
Sherlock Holmes jumped out and caught the man with the boyish face. The other jumped down the hole.
—Taken fromThe Red-Headed League
