wager. I did not give him a moment for rest, and he was soon
panting terribly and beginning to stumble; but with almost
superhuman nerve he kept up the chase. He was an unusually tough
burglar.

But quick as he was I was always quicker, and a glimpse of the
glowing case was all I let him have at either end of his climb or
slide. No sooner was he down than it was up, and no sooner was
the case up than he was up after it. In this way I kept
increasing his speed until it was something terrific, and the
whole house shook, like an automobile with a very powerful motor.
But still his speed increased. I saw then that I had brought him
to the place I had prepared for, where he had but one object in
life, and that was to beat the case up or down stairs; and as I
was now so sleepy I could hardly keep my eyes open, I did what I
had intended to do from the first. I lowered the case until it
was exactly between the ceiling of the dining-room and the floor
of the hall above--and turned out the electric light. I then tied
the steel cable securely to the head of my bed, turned over, and
went to sleep, lulled by the shaking of the house as the burglar
dashed up and down the stairs.

Just how long this continued I do not know, for my sleep was
deep and dreamless, but I should judge that the burglar ran
himself to death sometime between half-past three and a quarter
after four. So great had been his efforts that when I went to
remove him I did not recognize him at all. When I had seen him
last in the glow of the glass silver case he had been a stout,
chunky fellow, and now his remains were those of an emaciated
man. He must have run off one hundred and twenty pounds of flesh