down upon the anvil before him with force enough to
draw forth a sharp ring from the metal. Then the door closed again. It
was one o'clock.

The Doctor arose and went to a closet, whence he brought forth a pair
of soft slippers which he put on instead of his shoes. Leaving the
room, he climbed the stairway as noiselessly as a cat, not a board
creaking as he slowly lifted himself from one step to the next. He had
no fear of arousing Leon, but he did not wish to attract the attention
of any other one in the house. Soon he was in Leon's room, standing
beside the bed. Leon lay sleeping as calmly as a babe. Dr. Medjora
knelt beside him, and listened to his heart beating. He felt his
pulse, and seemed satisfied. From a couch he took a heavy slumber
robe, and without hesitation lifted Leon from the bed and wrapped him
in the robe. Next he raised him in his arms and carried him from the
room. At the end of the hall he paused long enough to open the door
which led to his laboratory, which occupied a wing of the building,
and passing through he closed the door behind him, and laid his burden
on the floor.

Next he lighted a small lamp which shed but a dim light, and stooping,
felt along the floor until he found a secret spring which he released,
and then slid aside a trap-door, exposing to view a flight of stairs.
Down these he descended, the ruby-colored shade of his lamp throwing
red rays upward as he disappeared. In a few moments he returned
without the lamp, which, placed somewhere below, still lighted the
opening with a dull glow. The Doctor took Leon in his arms, and
carried him down the steps, until he reached the same door through
which he had taken young Barnes on the memorable night of the fire. In
rebuilding upon the property, the Doctor had purposely placed his
laboratory over his secret underground chamber.

Having entered the remains of the temple of AEsculapius, he laid Leon
upon a comfortable mass of rugs which covered the central stone.
Taking from his pocket a small phial, he opened Leon's mouth and
poured the contents into it, holding his nose until, in an effort to
breathe, the drug was swallowed. This accomplished the Doctor retired
behind a screen, which had been formed by him in such accurate
reproduction of the walls of the chamber, that one would not readily
suspect that it was not a part of the original structure.

"Within ten minutes he should awaken," mused the Doctor. "But when he
does, and his