Chapter 18 JO HAS AN ADVENTURE ON HER OWN
　　JO came to the end of the spiral stairway at last. She found herself on the level once more, andremembered the little straight passage that led to the secret room from the stairway. Good, good,good! Now she would soon be in the room and could lie down on the bench.
　　She went through the doorway¹ of the secret room without knowing it, because it was so dark.
　　She groped her way along, and suddenly felt the edge of the bench.
　　'Here at last,' she said thankfully, out loud.
　　And then poor Jo got a dreadful shock! A pair of strong arms went round her and held her fast!
　　She screamed and struggled, her heart beating in wild alarm. Who was it? Oh, if only she had a light!
　　And then a torch was switched on, and held to her face. 'Oho! You must be Jo, I suppose,' saidPottersham's voice. 'I wondered who you were when one of those kids yelled out for you! I thoughtyou must be wandering somewhere about. I guessed you'd come this way, and I sat on the bench andwaited for you.'
　　'Let me go,' said Jo fiercely and struggled like a wild cat. The man only held her all the more tightly.
　　He was very strong.
　　Jo suddenly put down her face and bit his hand. He gave a shout and loosened his hold. Jo wasalmost free when he caught her again, and shook her like a rat. 'You little wild cat! Don't you do thatagain!'
　　Jo did it again, even more fiercely, and the man dropped her on to the ground, nursing his hand.
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　　Jo made for the entrance of the room, but again the man was too quick and she found herself heldagain.
　　'I'll tie you up,' said the man, furiously. 'I'll rope you so that you won't be able to move! And I'll leaveyou here in the dark till I come back again.'
　　He took a rope from round his waist and proceeded to tie Jo up so thoroughly² that she could hardlymove. Her hands were behind her back, her legs were tied at knees and ankles. She rolled about thefloor, calling the man all the names she knew.
　　'Well, you're safe for the time being,' said Pottersham, sucking his bitten hand. 'Now I'm going. Iwish you joy of the hard cold floor and the darkness, you savage³ little wild cat!'
　　Jo heard his footsteps going in the distance. She could have kicked herself for not having guessed hemight have been lying in wait for her. Now she couldn't get help for the others. In fact, she was muchworse off than they were because she was tied up, and they weren't.

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