Suddenly a little ball of purplish light shot through the darkness
and sped forward like some miniature meteor. It shed a curious
illuminating glow all about, and the ground, and the objects on it
were brought into relief as by a lightning flash.

An instant later the light increased in intensity, and seemed to
burst like some piece of aerial fireworks. There was a bright glare,
in which Ned and the others could see the various buildings about
the shed. They could see each other's faces, and they looked pale
and ghastly in the queer glow. They could see the box, brought into
bold relief, where Ned and the engineer had placed it.

Then, before the light had died away, they witnessed a curious
sight. The heavy wooden box seemed to dissolve, to collapse and to
crumple up like one of paper, and ere the last rays of the
illuminating bullet faded, the watchers saw the splinters of wood
fall back with a clatter in a little heap on the spot where the dry-
goods case had been.

A silence followed, and the darkness was all the blacker by contrast
with the intense light. At length Tom spoke, and he could not keep
from his voice a note of triumph.

"Well, did I do it?" he asked.

"You sure did!" exclaimed Ned heartily.

"Fine!" cried Mr. Swift.

"Golly! I wouldn't gib much fo' de hide ob any burglar what comed