Near the center of the room，on the inner wall andabout two feet from the floor，was a square of wood firmly embedded in the adobe.This，she thought，might possibly be a means of egress or ingress，so she tested it eagerly，pressing not only upon the wood but on all the blocks of adobe near it，in the endeavor to discover a hidden spring or some other clever mechanical contrivancea which would prove the "open sesameb."But the panel and the wall de？ed all her efforts and she ？nally concluded it was solid planking placed there to support the wall or to allow cupboards or shelves to be nailed against it.
Another similar place，where a huge panel of plank was set in the wall，she found at the very end of the passage，beyond the couch，and was only able to reach it by mounting the bed and climbing over the bedding.This panel was also immovable and she decided it could not be an opening because the wall beyond it was doubtless solid.This space beyond the bed，where the room ended，contained a huge chest of quaintly carved oaka.As she saw the chest her heart gave a great bound and forgetting for the moment her desire to escapeshe reached down and raised the lid.
Then her face fell.Despite the dim light in this corner，which she had grown somewhat accustomed to in investigating the panel，she could see that the chest contained merely papers，with which it was half filled.This might be the accumulated correspondence of the Cristovals，of no use to any but themselves，and losing all interest in the chest she closed the lid and again crossed over the high bed to Inez.
The result of this investigation，which had consumed afull hour，so thorough had she been，convinced Mildred that there was no immediate way for them to leave their prison.So she began to plan how they might keep themselves and baby Jane comfortable until they were rescued.
The bottle of milk，which Inez still held in her hand，wasa prepared food of a highly nourishing quality.The contents of the bottle had scarcely been touched by baby when，rousingfrom her sleep，she had been taken up and comforted by Inez until slumbera again overtook her.Usually Jane consumed two bottles of such food each day，and another during each night.
Mildred looked at her watch and found it was nearly four o'clock.With a little care in its administration the baby's food might last until morning，but not longer.For themselves，theymust be content without food，unless—She decided to search the boxes and shelves while daylight lasted，and bade Inez place the sleeping infant on one of the cushioned seats and support it with a pillow brought from the couch.Then the two girls began to take down the boxes from the shelves and explore their contents.Some were of tin and square in shape；others were round，like canistersb.
In one they found some tea and in another a small quantity of loaf sugar.There was no other food，except a few cracker crumbs in the bottom of a tin.
Leaving Inez to sit beside baby，Mildred next visited theroom below.Here the light was more dim，but she discovered a box of wax candles—two or three dozen in number—and a quantity of matches in a small iron safe.She tried these last and after several attempts managed to light one of them and with it light a candle.The matches were at least eight years old，but there was not a particle of dampness in the place and so they had not greatly deteriorated.
A broad slab of redwood，hinged and fastened to the wallby turn—buttons，was made to let down and serve as a table.When Mildred lowered it she found that it covered a small recess or cupboard in the wall，in which stood three tin cans.One was labeled "tomatoes"and the other two "corn".
Here was food，of a certain sort；but the cans weretightly soldered and there seemed to be no tool that might be used to open them.Although the place was littered witha many small articles there was nothing else among them that especially interested the girl.Two sabersb were crossed upon the wall over the table，and below them hung a big revolver.A panama hat，yellowed with age，hung upon a peg.A broom made of palm ？ber stood in a corner.
Mildred returned to the upper floor，carrying with her several candles and some matches.
"Inez，"said she，"we must make the best of our misfortune.
I hope that before long we shall be rescued，both on baby's account and on our own.There are some tins of tomatoes and corn down stairs，but nothing that baby could eat.However，we shall suffer more from thirst than from hunger，as there is not a drop of water in the place."Inez had been thinking during Mildred's absence.
"Can we not scream，and so make them hear us ？"she asked.
"I have thought of that and we will make the attempt.The servants are all in the opposite wing，so it is useless to try toarouse their attention；but when Mr.and Mrs.Weldon return，with the others，they may be able to hear us and so rescue us.""When will they be back？"Inez inquired.Mildred considered this question.
"I heard them say they were to stay in town for luncheon，but Mrs.Weldon remarked that they would be back soon after.I think，Inez，they may already have returned and even now may be searching for us.Stay here，and I will go below，so as not to disturb baby，and call."She went again down the steep stairs to the lower room where，standing near to the place where they had come through the wall，she uttered a sharp，shrill cry，such as she thought might penetrate the thick blocks of adobe.The sound echoed with startling reverberationsa through the secret chambers and baby Jane，wakening in affright，set up a series of such lusty screams that it seemed as if they ought to be heard a mile away.
Inez did her best to sootheb and quiet the baby，butsucceeded only when she had given little Jane the precious bottle of milk.
