"Probosces, I imagine you mean," suggested Johnson.

"Yes--that was it. Their probosces," said Adam. "They were great
honey-gatherers, those elephants--far better than the bees, because
they could make so much more of it in a given time."

Munchausen shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid I'm outclassed by these
antediluvians," he said.

"Gentlemen! gentlemen!" cried Sir Walter. "These interruptions are
inexcusable!"

"That's what I think," said the stranger, with some asperity. "I'm
having about as hard a time getting this story out as I would if it
were a serial. Of course, if you gentlemen do not wish to hear it, I
can stop; but it must be understood that when I do stop I stop
finally, once and for all, because the tale has not a sufficiency of
dramatic climaxes to warrant its prolongation over the usual magazine
period of twelve months."

"Go on! go on!" cried some.

"Shut up!" cried others--addressing the interrupting members, of
course.

"As I was saying," resumed the stranger, "I felt confident that
within an hour, in some way or other, that case would be placed in my
hands. It would be mine either positively or negatively--that is to
say, either the person robbed would employ me to ferret out the
mystery and recover the diamonds, or the robber himself, actuated by