The Twin Detectives; or, The Robbers of the Tomb — page 36: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE TWIN DETECTIVES. 4: 27 The whole house was out of repair, and the lower portion was the worst. ‘I'he floors were broken and uneven, and the walls seemed ready to tumble down. The partitions had been removed very roughly, as if the wood that composed them had been needed for fuel, so that the entire basement was like one room. A square hole in the center led to the cellar. Brierly ran down the ladder to the dark earthy-smelling and rat-in- fested place. He struck a match and lit a small piece of candle he car- ried in his hand. Guided by this uncertain light, he picked his way cau- tiously among the straw, broken bottles, and other rubbish that incumbered the floor. In one corner he paused and felt the wall carefully. At length he found a small knob, which he turned. A small opening appeared. Brierly passed through it, and found himself in a long, narrow passage. He closed the door after him, and walking very lightly, crossed the passage which led through the cellar of the next house. At the end this secret passage terminated in a short flight of steps. He descended, and placing his hand before his lantern to shield it from the draught, opened a door. He now stood in the cellar of the house occupied by the thieves. No one knew of the existence of this secret passage but Brierly; and he had it built at his own expense a year be- fore. Sometimes houses in Short’s Gardens were unoccupied for days together. After some arrests had been made, their tenants woe ‘ ea be afraid to return to their unhallowed shelter. HOD Brierly had taken advantage of one of these seasons, comicboo cS com. Wavy a"