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.CHAPTER IXLIKE RATS IN A TRAPFor the space of several seconds the boys watched the men advance, slowly andmethodically, looking around each packing case and even climbing up some ofthe stacked piles to make certain the boys weren't lying flat on the top.There was nothing that escaped their searching eyes and probing hands.Andinch by inch, foot by foot, they were coming nearer."Better start backing up," Ken murmured against Sandy's ear."And get caught at the end of the pier?" Like rats in a trap, Ken foundhimself thinking.Like rats in a trap.The phrase repeated itself over andPage 37ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlover in his head."Wait!" Sandy caught his arm."These things usually have two floors, one forfreight and"--he jerked his head upward--"one for passengers."Ken looked up too."How do you get there?" "Stairway.Hold it." Sandy peeredaround the corner of their concealing crate for a n.oment, and then turned hishead to whisper, "There it is--right--" But he stopped and looked around thecrate again."Too late," he reported.Ken took his place and saw the stairway--and saw too that one of the searcherswas trotting directly toward it.A moment later the man had mounted halfway upthe flight and stood there scanning the pier with the aid of a powerfulflashlight.Ken ducked back just in time to avoid its beam.Escape by way of the stairs was impossible."The river then?" Ken whispered, trying not to think what it would be like inthe black oily water.Sandy shook his head."Not yet."Ken understood.The river was a last resort."They'd hear us," Sandy pointed out."See us too, probably." He gesturedtoward one of the flashlights flickering erratically against the wall."Andthe piles are too slimy," he added.Ken had thought of that too; even if they managed to elude the searchers'lights once they got in the water, how would they get out again, and where?The Hudson was edged for miles with a solid row of piers, and all of themstood high on supports which certainly hadn't been designed to help swimmerswanting to come ashore.There probably were ladders some place, but findingone might take hours.But if the river seemed hopeless, what else offered itself?The boys stared at each other, paralyzed by indecision.They'd be discovered,surely, in a matter of minutes."There's a ledge around the walls of the pier on the outside," Sandy saidsuddenly."If we could get on that--" Let s try.But before they could make a move toward the opening in the wall through whichthe gangplank of the Louise thrust itself, heavy fists pounded on the greatclosed door at the head of the pier.Ken felt his heart bound.Help was coming! Somehow Pop Allen or--They peered around their crate.Turner opened a small door set in the largeone and five men--five sailors--entered.The leader spoke in a guttural voice,the words indistinguishable."Swedish," Sandy muttered.And Ken remembered that Sandy had reported a Swedish boat on the far side ofthe pier.But any idea of being rescued by the new arrivals was dispelled byTurner's brisk words."Glad to see you.We caught a couple of river rats stealing stuff here on thedock, and thought you boys might want to help rout them out.Go to it."The sailors looked cheerful and determined as they joined the band ofsearchers already at work."The ledge," Ken whispered.Moving cautiously, always with a quick glance around the corner of oneconcealing mass before they slipped on to the shelter of the next, theyretraced their steps back toward the gangplank opening.If they were to reachthe ledge that way it would mean coming very close to that brilliant path o£light, but perhaps by sliding around the very edge of the doorway, at a momentcarefully chosen--But when Ken put one eye around the corner he drew backinstantly and with a new sense of panic.At the head of the gangplank,overlooking the whole area around the opening, stood an officer.The narrowedeyes under the visor of his cap shifted constantly from side to side.For a moment Ken was certain he himself had been seen, but when he and Sandyhad stood huddled against the wall for a long slow minute he knew that somehowhe had been missed.His throat was dry and the muscles of his jaw ached fromclenching his teeth together to keep them from chattering.One more possiblePage 38ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlescape was closed to them.Like rats in a trap.The phrase began to repeat itself again.Like rats in atrap.Sandy tugged at his sleeve and indicated that they were to move on along thewall, back toward the far end of the pier.Ken moved after him.Turner's voice demanded to know why the culprits hadn't yet been found.Answering voices muttered here and there in the dark, and footsteps quickenedtheir pace a little, as Turner moved part way down the pier to superintend thelabors."These walls are full of doors," Sandy murmured, nodding back over hisshoulder to indicate that he referred to the sort of opening through which thegangplank entered."Stick to the wall."Ken had not known that, and he told himself that now they really had a chance.If they could just find another door--one without a bright light over it and aguardian officer--they might get out of here yet.Almost on all fours they went on, feeling the dark wall ahead of them as theymoved.And after what seemed to Ken miles of this slow form of travel, Sandyfinally halted.Ken raised his eyes from the middle of Sandy's back, where hehad kept them glued as they pursued their tedious way, and saw that within afew feet of Sandy's outstretched hand there showed a dark space against thedark wall.It was the narrow slit of a partially opened door.Silently Sandy explored it, raised his arm to motion Ken on--and then abruptlythrust the palm of his hand at Ken and backed hastily against him.There was another period of breathless waiting like the one just after Ken hadsighted the officer.When Sandy finally permitted himself to speak again, inthe faintest of whispers, he informed Ken that as he looked he had seen one ofthe searchers step up onto the gangplank and flash his light along the outerwall in both directions.Turner's men had also remembered the ledge, and now that too no longer offeredany hope.Even if they flashed their light on it only at intervals, itwouldn't be safe: negotiating a way around the narrow foothold would probablyrequire some time, and the boys would be sure to be seen at some point ontheir precarious trip.Like rats in a trap.Like--Well, it would have to be the river then, Ken thought grimly.He edged around Sandy to study the situation, first assuring himself that thedoorway was momentarily free of the searchlight's beam.No.They couldn't possibly jump in here.The Louise stood too close to thepier.He took a step backward, tripped over something, and lost his balance.Sandycaught him and held him upright until he freed his foot.It had been caught ina line of taut rope.Ken steadied himself against the wall and looked at it.Dimly he could makeout that it led outward and upward through the opening.He turned to Sandy."Where does it go?""Stern deck probably.Mooring line.Why?" The final word had urgency init--the searchers' footsteps around them were coming closer--but it had hopetoo."Yes, I've got an idea all right," Ken wanted to tell him [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]