usband his strength and to save time,
he was sliding down. But this did not disconcert me. It pleased me. The
quicker he went down, the oftener he would have to walk up.

For half an hour I played with him, giving him just time to get down
to the foot of the stairs before I raised the silver, and just time
to reach the top before I lowered it, and then I grew tired of the
sport--for it was nothing else to me--and decided to finish him off. I
was getting sleepy, but it was evident that the burglar was not, and
I was a little afraid I might fall asleep and thus defeat myself. The
burglar had that advantage because he was used to night work. So I
quickened my movements a little. When the burglar slid down I gave
him just time to see the silver rise through the ceiling, and when he
climbed the stairs I only allowed him to see it descend through the
floor. In this way I made him double his pace, and as I quickened my
movements I soon had him dashing up the stairs and sliding down again
as if for a wager. I did not give him a moment for rest, and he was soon
panting terribly and beginning to stumble; but with almost superhuman
nerve he kept up the chase. He was an unusually tough burglar.

But quick as he was I was always quicker, and a glimpse of the glowing
case was all I let him have at either end of his climb or slide. No
sooner was he down than it was up, and no sooner was the case up than
he was up after it. In this way I kept increasing his speed until it was
something terrific, and the whole house shook, like an automobile with
a very powerful motor. But still his speed increased. I saw then that
I had brought him to the place I had prepared for, where he had but one
object in life, and that was to beat the case up or down stairs; and as
I was now so sleepy I could hardly keep my eyes open, I did what I had
intended to do from the first. I lowered the case until it was exactly
between the ceiling of the dining-room and the floor of the hall
above--and turned out the electric light. I then tied the steel cable
securely to the head of my bed, turned over, and went to sleep, lulled
by the shaking of the house as the burglar dashed up and down the
stairs.

Just how long this continued I do not know, for my sleep was deep and
dreamless, but I should judge that the burglar ran himself to death
sometime between half-past three and a quarter after four. So great had
been his efforts that when I went to remove him I did not