Outwardly he was still skeptical, but a doubt was forming in his mind.
"It will do no harm to try it again," said Breitmann.
If Fitzgerald noted the subdued excitement in the man's voice, he charged it to the moment.
"Take my word for it," avowed the admiral, "you will find nothing.
Bring the coffee into the library," he added to the butler.
The logs were taken out of the fireplace, and as soon as the smoke cleared the young men gave the inside of the chimney a thorough going over.

They could see the blue sky away up above.

The opening was large, but far too small for any human being to enter down it.

The mortar between the bricks seemed for the most part undisturbed.
Breitmann made the first discovery of any importance.

Just above his height, standing in the chimney itself, he saw a single brick projecting beyond its mates.