"We are close there now," my friend remarked. "This fellowMerryweather is a bank director, and personally interested in thematter. I thought it as well to have Jones with us also. He isnot a bad fellow, though an absolute imbecile in his profession.He has one positive virtue. He is as brave as a bulldog and astenacious as a lobster if he gets his claws upon anyone. Here weare, and they are waiting for us."
We had reached the same crowded thoroughfare in which we hadfound ourselves in the morning. Our cabs were dismissed, and,following the guidance of Mr. Merryweather, we passed down anarrow passage and through a side door, which he opened for us.Within there was a small corridor, which ended in a very massiveiron gate. This also was opened, and led down a flight of windingstone steps, which terminated at another formidable gate. Mr.Merryweather stopped to light a lantern, and then conducted usdown a dark, earth-smelling passage, and so, after opening athird door, into a huge vault or cellar, which was piled allround with crates and massive boxes.
"You are not very vulnerable from above," Holmes remarked as heheld up the lantern and gazed about him.
"Nor from below," said Mr. Merryweather, striking his stick uponthe flags which lined the floor. "Why, dear me, it sounds quitehollow!" he remarked, looking up in surprise.
"I must really ask you to be a little more quiet!" said Holmesseverely. "You have already imperilled the whole success of ourexpedition. Might I beg that you would have the goodness to sitdown upon one of those boxes, and not to interfere?"
The solemn Mr. Merryweather perched himself upon a crate, with avery injured expression upon his face, while Holmes fell upon hisknees upon the floor and, with the lantern and a magnifying lens,began to examine minutely the cracks between the stones. A fewseconds sufficed to satisfy him, for he sprang to his feet againand put his glass in his pocket.
"We have at least an hour before us," he remarked, "for they canhardly take any steps until the good pawnbroker is safely in bed.Then they will not lose a minute, for the sooner they do theirwork the longer time they will have for their escape. We are atpresent, Doctor--as no doubt you have divined--in the cellar ofthe City branch of one of the principal London banks. Mr.Merryweather is the chairman of directors, and he will explain toyou that there are reasons why the more daring criminals ofLondon should take a considerable interest in this cellar atpresent."
"It is our French gold," whispered the director. "We have hadseveral warnings that an attempt might be made upon it."
"Your French gold?"
"Yes. We had occasion some months ago to strengthen our resourcesand borrowed for that purpose 30,000 napoleons from the Bank ofFrance. It has become known that we have never had occasion tounpack the money, and that it is still lying in our cellar. Thecrate upon which I sit contains 2,000 napoleons packed betweenlayers of lead foil. Our reserve of bullion is much larger atpresent than is usually kept in a single branch office, and thedirectors have had misgivings upon the subject."
"Which were very well justified," observed Holmes. "And now it istime that we arranged our little plans. I expect that within anhour matters will come to a head. In the meantime Mr.Merryweather, we must put the screen over that dark lantern."
"And sit in the dark?"
"I am afraid so. I had brought a pack of cards in my pocket, andI thought that, as we were a partie carree, you might have yourrubber after all. But I see that the enemy's preparations havegone so far that we cannot risk the presence of a light. And,first of all, we must choose our positions. These are daring men,and though we shall take them at a disadvantage, they may do ussome harm unless we are careful. I shall stand behind this crate,and do you conceal yourselves behind those. Then, when I flash alight upon them, close in swiftly. If they fire, Watson, have nocompunction about shooting them down."
I placed my revolver, cocked, upon the top of the wooden casebehind which I crouched. Holmes shot the slide across the frontof his lantern and left us in pitch darkness--such an absolutedarkness as I have never before experienced. The smell of hotmetal remained to assure us that the light was still there, readyto flash out at a moment's notice. To me, with my nerves workedup to a pitch of expectancy, there was something depressing andsubduing in the sudden gloom, and in the cold dank air of thevault.
"They have but one retreat," whispered Holmes. "That is backthrough the house into Saxe-Coburg Square. I hope that you havedone what I asked you, Jones?"
"I have an inspector and two officers waiting at the front door."
"Then we have stopped all the holes. And now we must be silentand wait."
What a time it seemed! From comparing notes afterwards it was butan hour and a quarter, yet it appeared to me that the night musthave almost gone and the dawn be breaking above us. My limbswere weary and stiff, for I feared to change my position; yet mynerves were worked up to the highest pitch of tension, and myhearing was so acute that I could not only hear the gentlebreathing of my companions, but I could distinguish the deeper,heavier in-breath of the bulky Jones from the thin, sighing noteof the bank director. From my position I could look over the casein the direction of the floor. Suddenly my eyes caught the glintof a light.
&
nbsp; At first it was but a lurid spark upon the stone pavement. Thenit lengthened out until it became a yellow line, and then,without any warning or sound, a gash seemed to open and a handappeared, a white, almost womanly hand, which felt about in thecentre of the little area of light. For a minute or more thehand, with its writhing fingers, protruded out of the floor. Thenit was withdrawn as suddenly as it appeared, and all was darkagain save the single lurid spark which marked a chink betweenthe stones.
Its disappearance, however, was but momentary. With a rending,tearing sound, one of the broad, white stones turned over uponits side and left a square, gaping hole, through which streamedthe light of a lantern. Over the edge there peeped a clean-cut,boyish face, which looked keenly about it, and then, with a handon either side of the aperture, drew itself shoulder-high andwaist-high, until one knee rested upon the edge. In anotherinstant he stood at the side of the hole and was hauling afterhim a companion, lithe and small like himself, with a pale faceand a shock of very red hair.
"It's all clear," he whispered. "Have you the chisel and thebags? Great Scott! Jump, Archie, jump, and I'll swing for it!"
Sherlock Holmes had sprung out and seized the intruder by thecollar. The other dived down the hole, and I heard the sound ofrending cloth as Jones clutched at his skirts. The light flashedupon the barrel of a revolver, but Holmes' hunting crop camedown on the man's wrist, and the pistol clinked upon the stonefloor.
"It's no use, John Clay," said Holmes blandly. "You have nochance at all."
"So I see," the other answered with the utmost coolness. "I fancythat my pal is all right, though I see you have got hiscoat-tails."
"There are three men waiting for him at the door," said Holmes.
"Oh, indeed! You seem to have done the thing very completely. Imust compliment you."
"And I you," Holmes answered. "Your red-headed idea was very newand effective."
"You'll see your pal again presently," said Jones. "He's quickerat climbing down holes than I am. Just hold out while I fix thederbies."
"I beg that you will not touch me with your filthy hands,"remarked our prisoner as the handcuffs clattered upon his wrists."You may not be aware that I have royal blood in my veins. Havethe goodness, also, when you address me always to say 'sir' and'please.'"