to be stolen from our pockets. And let me tell you--you are not
the only man in New York who knows the secret of thermite. I have
told the secret to the police, and they are only waiting to find
who destroyed Morowitch's correspondence under the letter 'P' to
apprehend the robber of his safe. Your secret is out."

"Revenge! revenge!" Poissan cried. "I will have revenge.
Francois, bring out the jewels--ha! ha!--here in this bag are the
jewels of Mr. Morowitch. To-night Francois and I will go down by
the back elevator to a secret exit. In two hours all your police
in New York cannot find us. But in two hours you two impostors
will be suffocated--perhaps you will die of cyanogen, like
Morowitch, whose jewels I have at last."

He went to the door into the hall and stood there with a mocking
laugh. I moved to make a rush toward them, but Kennedy raised his
hand.

"You will suffocate," Poissan hissed again.

Just then we heard the elevator door clang, and hurried steps
came down the long hall.

Craig whipped out his automatic and began pumping the bullets out
in rapid succession. As the smoke cleared I expected to see
Poissan and Francois lying on the floor. Instead, Craig had fired
at the lock of the door. He had shattered it into a thousand
bits. Andrews and his men were running down the hall.

"Curse you!" muttered Poissan as he banged the now useless lock,