Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 6).djvu/49

position began to burn less brightly, and at last the failure of light became so marked that the "Count," who was working at the upper part of the larger safe, turned round and looked at the candles with a puzzled air; finally snuffing them with his fingers, as if hoping to cure the defect in that way.

"He fell senseless."

Finding that his expedient had not the desired effect, he turned round again, apparently to consult with his colleagues. Meanwhile, however, the noxious gas had reached the level at which Antoine was working, and with a brief convulsive fight for breath, he threw up his arms, and fell senseless like the first victim. Never have I seen such an expression of terror as came over the face of the so-called Count, as he gazed on the fallen bodies of his accomplices. Already alarmed by the burning blue of the candles, it seemed to him no doubt that his companions had been struck down by some supernatural power. Panic-stricken, he made a rush for the hole in the wall, but it was too late. In the midst of his struggles to escape, the deadly gas overtook him, and he too fell back insensible.

"Not a bad night's work," said Macpherson, aloud, as he rose from his knees and proceeded to stop the flow of the acid. "Now we will ring for O'Grady, and then we must make all haste to lug these fellows out of that room. I did not bargain for three of them, and every minute the gas becomes more deadly. Remember what I told you. Venture in only just far enough to get a rope round your man, and hold your breath while you stoop to do it."

At this moment O'Grady appeared, looking a little bewildered, for we had not told him why his presence would be required.

"O'Grady," I said, "burglars have broken into the strong room, and I want you to fetch the police."

"Bur-r-r-glars, is it?" replied O'Grady, peeping down through one of the bull's-eyes. One or two of the candles happened to have been fixed above the level which the gas had reached, and these still burned brightly, though the rest had long since gone out.

"Ghost of Moses! but they're all dead cor-r-r-rpses!"

"Not yet," said Macpherson, "but they soon will be, unless we get them out pretty quickly."

"But how the blazes did ye kill them? sure, Oh, sure, it's some of them ilictric divilments of Mister Macpherson's."

"Never mind that now, man; hurry for the police, and you shall know all about it afterwards."

Fortunately the police-station was only just over the way. O'Grady started, leaving the door open behind him, and in a few minutes was back again, with a sergeant and two constables. Meanwhile, Macpherson and myself had opened the strong room, and with some difficulty had succeeded in getting out the man nearest the door, who happened to be Antoine.

"Shall we tie his hands?" I inquired.

"Never mind that now," replied Macpher-