The Mystery of the Ghostly Galeon

her own first guess. She remembered another time and another place, when she had been trying to solve the mystery of some emeralds. There, at the house known as Green Trees, she had searched a wall’s dark paneling—and she had found a secret passage. It was entirely possible that there was one here at Pirate’s Inn, too, just waiting to be discovered.
    “Would you mind if Honey and I explored the rest of the dining room?” she asked Mr. Trask.
    “Explore wherever you like, Trixie,” he answered, smiling, “We’re not busy now, and I’ve got some things to see to for tonight’s little celebration. I just ask that you stay out of the kitchen.
    We’ll undoubtedly have our usual dinner rush this evening, and Cookie gets a mite upset when he’s interrupted.”
    When he had gone, Honey asked, “Did you think of something, Trix? Have you figured out how Captain Trask disappeared?”
    “Do you remember how I thought there might be a secret passage somewhere in these walls?” Trixie asked. “Well, I still think so. And I know just where we’re going to start looking.”
    With Honey close on her heels, Trixie walked quickly to the other side of the large old room. She found herself close to the kitchen, where she could hear a low murmur of voices and the occasional clatter of pots and pans.
    She also found something else. A large wooden screen shielded the darkest corner from view. Trixie had noticed it as soon as she had entered the dining room. Now, with a sense of rising excitement, she stepped behind it. She saw at once that the paneling there appeared to be a slightly different color from its neighbors.
    “Look at this, Honey!” Trixie exclaimed excitedly, running her fingers lightly over the wood. “I just knew we’d find something. Be patient, now. It’ll probably take a while....”
    But it took no time at all. Waist-high from the floor, her searching fingers found a depression in the wood’s smooth surface. She lifted, and the panel slid 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