“As I drew back the slide I became aware of a sound which, soft as it was, rang the knell of my newly-formed hopes.  I had closed the door of the murderers’ room and locked it, but had not shot the bolt.  Now I could distinctly hear someone fumbling gently at the keyhole, apparently with a picklock.  It was most infuriating.  At the very last moment, when success was within my grasp, I was to be foiled and all my neatly-laid plans defeated.  And to make it a thousand times worse, I had not even taken the precaution to examine the dead miscreants’ hair!

“With an angry and foolish exclamation, I reached through the opening and drew the cupboard doors to, leaving only a small chink.  Then I shut myself in my own cupboard, to exclude the dim light, and closing the panel to within an inch, waited on events with my hand on the knob, ready to shut it at a moment’s notice.  The great strategic move was about to begin and I was curious to see what it would be.

“The bolt of the lock shot back; the door creaked softly.  There was a pause, and then a voice whispered: 

“’Why, they seem to be asleep!  Keep them covered, Smith, and shoot if they move.’

“Soft footsteps advanced across the room.  Someone gave a choking cough and then a brassy voice fairly shouted, ’Why, man, they’re dead!  My Lord!  What a let-off!’

“An unsteady laugh told of the effort it had cost the worthy officer to take this frightful risk.

“‘Yes,’ said another voice, ’they’re dead enough.  They’ve cheated us after all.  Not that I complain of that.  But, my eye, sir; what a sell!  Think of all those Tommies and that machine gun.  Ha! ha!  Oh!  Lord!  I suppose the beggars poisoned themselves when they saw the game was up.’  He laughed again and the laugh ended in a fit of coughing.

“‘Not they, Sergeant,’ said the other.  ’It was that coke stove that gave them their ticket.  Can’t you smell it?  And, by Jove, it will give us our ticket if we don’t clear out.  We’ll just run down and report and send for a couple of stretchers.’

“‘Hadn’t I better wait here, sir, while you’re gone?’ asked the sergeant.

“’Lord, no, man.  What for?  We shall want three stretchers if you do.  Come along.  Pooh!  Leave the door open.’

“I listened incredulously to their retreating footsteps.  It seemed hardly possible that they should be so devoid of caution.  And yet, why not?  The men were dead.  And dead men are not addicted to sudden disappearances.

“But this case was going to be an exception.  I had given the specimens up for lost when I heard the police enter; but now—­

“I opened the slide, sprang through the opening, and strode over to the mattress.  One after the other, I picked up the prostrate ruffians, carried them across and bundled them through the aperture.  Then I came through myself, shut the cupboard doors, closed both panels carefully, shut up my own cupboard and carried the specimens down to my bedroom.  With their knees drawn up, they packed quite easily in the large drawers.  I shut them in, locked the drawers, pocketed the key, washed my hands and went down to the parlor, where I rapidly laid the breakfast table.  At any moment now, the police might come to inspect, and whenever they came, they would find me ready.