Chapter 75

CHAPTER 75

At the same moment, we both hurried to the spot on the floor where the log landed, as Caleb smoothed it over with his hand. Centuries of dust were wiped away, revealing the bare wood. He rapped hard on it with his knuckles, and there was, again, a hollow sound.

“Stand back,” he said, and I leaned back against the wall.

As I did, he pulled his arm back and punched the floorboard. There was cracking wood, as he punched a hole right through it, and reached in and tore up several floorboards.

I grabbed a candle, and put it inside the hole. There was not much space, and we could see the dirt on the ground. I moved the candle. At first, it revealed nothing. But as I moved the candle to the corner, I suddenly saw something. “There.”

I reached in and slowly extracted it. I held it up, and wiped away an inch of dust.

It was a small, red satin pouch. Tied shut by a string.