A shriek followed from within the room.

In a panic, Israel fled up the dark stairs, and near the top, in his eagerness, stumbled and fell back to the last step with a rolling din, which, reverberated by the arch overhead, smote through and through the wall, dying away at last indistinctly, like low muffled thunder among the clefts of deep hills.

When raising himself instantly, not seriously bruised by his fall, Israel instantly listened, the echoing sounds of his descent were mingled with added shrieks from within the room.

They seemed some nervous female's, alarmed by what must have appeared to her supernatural, or at least unaccountable, noises in the wall.

Directly he heard other voices of alarm undistinguishably commingled, and then they retreated together, and all again was still.
Recovering from his first amazement, Israel revolved these occurrences.
"No creature now in the house knows of the cell," thought he.