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noiselessly upward.
    Trixie stared at what appeared to be a small wooden cupboard.
    “I’ve found it!” she cried. “Oh, Honey, don’t you see? This is how the pirate escaped. He must have climbed in here—and then—” She stopped, frowning. “But I wonder where he went next?” Honey peered over Trixie’s shoulder. “Why,” she said, “this is a dumbwaiter. It’s one of those things that work on a pulley, I’m sure. Old houses often had them. The servants used to put hot food inside it. Then they hauled on the rope to lift the whole thing upstairs.”
    “Or to send it downstairs to the cellar?” Trixie asked thoughtfully.
    Honey nodded. “Where there’s probably another secret way out that leads to a beach.”
    The two girls stared at each other.
    “In that case,” Trixie said at last, “there’s only one way to find out.”
    “You’re not thinking of getting inside this thing and going down there, are you?” asked Honey, sounding worried.
    “Mr. Trask said we could explore where we wanted,” Trixie pointed out. Gingerly, she tested the rope. “Anyway, I’m sure it’s quite safe. And just think, Honey, if we find out for sure—”
    “Then we’ve solved the mystery!” Honey’s hazel eyes were shining.
    “And I’ll have shown Mart that I’m not as peabrained as he thinks I am,” Trixie said smugly.

    Five minutes later, Trixie was heartily thankful that her brother wasn’t around to laugh at her. She was positively, definitely, absolutely stuck at the bottom of the shaft!
    Curled around in the dumbwaiter’s tiny space, she knew she must look like some enormous chick about to burst out of its shell. She only wished she could!
    Up until now, everything had worked perfectly. With Honey’s nervous hands guiding the rope, the little wooden cupboard had descended easily and quietly. Then, with a gentle bump, it had reached its destination.
    But there was no panel here to slide open to her touch. All she could see in front of her was a brick wall.
    And now Honey couldn’t pull her back up!
    “It’s no use, Trix,” Honey’s miserable voice floated down to her. “The rope simply won’t move. I think you’re too heavy. Isn’t there any way you can get out down there?”
    With some difficulty, Trixie freed one hand. She ran her fingers over the brick face.
    She groaned and tried to fight the feeling of panic that washed over her. “Oh, Honey!” she cried. “There’s nothing here at all. It’s been closed off. I—I think you’re going to have to get someone to help. Oh, please hurry!”
    There was a long silence, while Trixie strained her ears to hear what was going on.
    At last she heard Honey’s voice cry frantically, “Trix? I can’t find anyone—not even in the kitchen. You’re not going to believe this, but everyone seems to have disappeared, even that funny little man who was sitting at the captain’s table.”
    “But—but that’s impossible!” Trixie exclaimed. “Oh, Honey! What are we going to do?”
    There was another long silence as Honey rushed away for another search. Trixie tried hard not to think about what would happen if it was unsuccessful. Where could everyone have gone?
    The air inside the shaft seemed fresh enough, although Trixie couldn’t be sure. Too, one leg was tucked firmly beneath her, and it was horribly cramped. Trixie tried to move it, but it was wedged in tightly.
    Mart was right, Trixie thought miserably. I’m nothing but a pea-brain, after all!
    Suddenly, from somewhere far above her, a door banged, and a woman’s voice said, “I don’t know what to believe anymore, Frank. All I know is that you’ve had wild ideas before, and they haven’t worked. I—I almost couldn’t bear to come home this time—”
    “But this time it’s different, Marge,” a man insisted. “This idea has worked. And from now on, things are going to be a lot better, you mark my words.”
    Trixie felt almost faint with relief as she realized that the two