Lost in the Tunnel of Time Read Online Free Page B

the table was hand drawn and looked very old. It had lines and what looked like doorways, and the words “Destroy this map!” written on the bottom.
    â€œWhere did you get it?” asked Rashawn.
    Ziggy took a deep breath and began. “I got it from Mr. Greene. He got it from his grandfather. It should have been destroyed long ago, because it could have meant death to anyone who was found with it.”
    â€œWhat is it a map of?” Rico wanted to know.
    Ziggy paused dramatically. “It’s a map of an Underground Railroad hiding place! Not only that—it’s a map of the hiding places that are under our school!”
    â€œWow!” The rest of the boys were truly impressed. “Why would Mr. Greene give such a special map to you?”
    â€œHe didn’t give it to me, mon. He just loaned it to me because he thought it would help me get a good grade on my homework assignment. I was walking past his house yesterday while he was sitting on his porch, and we started talking, and he ended up digging this out of an old trunk. I have to give it back to him next week.”
    â€œSo how is it going to help you do your homework?” asked Jerome.
    â€œIt’s not gonna help at all, mon,” replied Ziggy with a sly smile.
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œBecause I can make up a story about an escaped slave out of my head, mon!”
    â€œSo what are you going to do with the map?” asked Rashawn.
    â€œIt’s not what I’m going to do with it; it’s what we’re going to do,” said Ziggy, the excitement building in his voice.

    â€œWhat’s your plan, Ziggy?” asked Rico, who was beginning to see what Ziggy had in mind.
    â€œWe’re going to follow this map and find the lost secret tunnel of the Underground Railroad that’s hidden under our school!”

“HOW DO YOU THINK WE’RE GONNA FIND A LOST tunnel? Those things have been hidden for over a hundred years!” Rico asked.
    â€œYou know those old stairs behind the stage that lead down to a brick wall, mon?” asked Ziggy.
    â€œSure,” remembered Rashawn. “Last year when we were in the school play, we used to go down there and hide from the girls and scare them when they came looking for us.”
    â€œThere’s a trapdoor back there too. It’s built into the floor at the bottom of the stairs. But it has boxes over it and a big lock on it,” added Jerome. “I usedto wonder why those stairs went nowhere and why a trapdoor was hidden in the floor.”
    â€œThe lock is open, mon!” announced Ziggy.
    â€œWhat? How do you know?”
    â€œYesterday I was carrying some boxes for Mr. Lyon. He told me to put them in that storage area behind the stairs. And I noticed that the lock was open ! It looked like it had just fallen apart because it was old.”
    â€œDid you tell anyone?”
    â€œOf course not, mon! But I didn’t put that trapdoor and the hidden tunnels together until Mr. Greene gave me this map. I just know there’s a connection, mon!”
    â€œWhat’s the plan?” asked Rashawn.
    â€œMr. Lyon is having tryouts for this year’s school play on Monday. Tell your parents that you’re staying for that.”
    â€œI don’t want to be in the play,” complained Rico.
    â€œYou’re only gonna be there so we can check out that trapdoor,” explained Jerome.
    â€œOh yeah! I get it! Good plan!”
    â€œWhat should we bring?” asked Rashawn.
    â€œFlashlights,” suggested Rico, “with extra batteries!”
    â€œBug spray!” declared Jerome. “And some tools.”
    â€œSome rope and a couple of garbage bags,” added Rashawn.
    â€œAnd I’ll bring the map and the Seven Special Stones of the Sun, mon!” cried Ziggy.
    â€œI don’t think there’s much sun where we’re going,” Rico remarked to Ziggy.
    â€œThen that’s all the more reason