Gilbert and Vaucheray, following Lupin's orders and instructions, at
once proceeded methodically to remove the bulkier pieces. The first boat
was filled in half an hour; and it was decided that the Growler and the
Masher should go on ahead and begin to load the motor-car.

Lupin went to see them start. On returning to the house, it struck him,
as he passed through the hall, that he heard a voice in the pantry. He
went there and found Leonard lying flat on his stomach, quite alone,
with his hands tied behind his back:

"So it's you growling, my confidential flunkey? Don't get excited: it's
almost finished. Only, if you make too much noise, you'll oblige us to
take severer measures... Do you like pears? We might give you one, you
know: a choke-pear!..."

As he went upstairs, he again heard the same sound and, stopping to
listen, he caught these words, uttered in a hoarse, groaning voice, which
came, beyond a doubt, from the pantry:

"Help!... Murder!... Help!... I shall be killed!... Inform the commissary!"

"The fellow's clean off his chump!" muttered Lupin. "By Jove!... To
disturb the police at nine o'clock in the evening: there's a notion for
you!"

He set to work again. It took longer than he expected, for they
discovered in the cupboards all sorts of valuable knick-knacks which it
would have been very wrong to disdain and, on the other hand, Vaucheray
and Gilbert were going about their investigations with signs of