“So there was more than one at any rate.

“When the door was wide enough open to admit my head, I looked in.  One burner of the gas was alight but turned very low, though it gave enough light for me to see three men standing before the safe.  Three were rather more than I had bargained for.  Number One, by himself, had given me a good deal of occupation, both during and after the capture.  Three might prove a little beyond my powers.  And yet, if I could only manage them, they would make a handsome addition to my collection.  I watched them and turned over the ways and means of dealing with them.  Evidently the essence of the strategy required was to separate them and deal with them in detail.  But how was it to be done?

I watched the three men with their heads close together looking into the safe.  The door stood wide open and a key in the lock explained the procedure so far.  One of the men held an electric bulls-eye lamp, the light of which was focussed on the keyhole of the jewel-compartment, into which another had just introduced a skeleton key.

At this moment, the third man turned his head.  By the dim light I could see that he was looking, with a distinctly startled expression, in my direction; in fact, I seemed to meet his eye; but, knowing that I was in complete darkness in the shadow of the door, I remained motionless.

“‘Fred,’ he whispered hoarsely, ‘the door’s open.’

“The other two men looked round sharply, and one of them—­presumably Fred—­retorted gruffly, ‘Then go and shut it.  And don’t make no bloomin’ row.’

“The man addressed felt in his pocket and advanced stealthily across the room.  His feet were encased in list slippers and his tread was perfectly noiseless.  As he approached I backed away, and grasping the newel-post of the staircase gave it a sharp pull, whereat the whole of the balusters creaked loudly.  Then I slipped behind the curtain that partly divided the hall, poised the concussor as a golf-player poises his club, and gathered in the slack of the fishing-line.

“The burglar’s head appeared dimly in silhouette against the faint light from within.  He listened for a moment and then peered out into the dark hall.  The opportunity seemed excellent if I could only lure him a little farther out.  In any case, he must not be allowed to retire and shut the door.

“I gave a steady pull at the fishing-line.  The shot-bag slid over the carpet on the landing above with a sound remarkably like that of a stealthy footstep.

“The burglar looked up sharply and raised his hand; and against the dimly-lighted wall of the dining-room I saw the silhouette of a pointed revolver.  The practice of carrying firearms seems to be growing amongst the criminal classes, perhaps by reason of the increasing number of American criminals who visit this country.  At any rate, the matter should be dealt with by appropriate legislation.