he strength
of a cat, and there is no breathing man could swim against the current
far enough to reach any place where he could climb out. But to avoid
even that risk, we are going to give you a little chloroform first. It
will make things easier for you, and we shall not be distressed by your
shrieks."

"An amiable programme," Engleton muttered. "I am quite ready for it."

"Then I don't think we need waste words," Forrest said slowly. "You
have made up your mind, I suppose, that you do not care about life.
Remember that it is not we who are your executioners. You have an easy
choice."

"If you mean," Engleton said, "will I purchase my liberty by letting
you two blackguards off free, for this and for your dirty
card-sharping, I say no! I will take my chances of life to the last
second. Afterwards I shall know that I am revenged. Men don't go
happily through life with the little black devil sitting on their
shoulders."

"We'll take our risk," Forrest said thickly. "You have chosen, then?
This is your last chance."

"Absolutely!" Engleton answered.

Forrest took out the phial from his pocket and held his handkerchief on
the palm of his hand.

"Open the door, will you, Cecil," he said, "so that we can carry him
out."

Cecil opened it, and came slowly back to where Forrest was counting the
drops which fell from the bottle on to his handkerchief. Then he
suddenly came to a standstill. Forrest, too, paused in his task and
looked up. He gave a nervous start, and the bottle fell from his
fingers.

"What in God's name was that?" he asked.

It came to them faintly down the long passage, but it was nevertheless
alarming enough. The hoarse clanging of a bell, pulled by impetuous
fingers. Cecil and Forrest stared at one another for a moment with
dilated eyes.

"Can't you speak, you d----d young fool?" Forrest asked. "What bell is
that?"

"It is the front-door bell of the Red Hall," Cecil answered, in a voice
which he scarcely recognized as his own. "There it goes again."

They stood perfectly silent and listened to it, listened until its
echoes died away.

CHAPTER XV

For the fourth time the bell rang. The two men had now retraced their
steps. Cecil, who had been standing in the hall within a few feet of
the closed door, started away as though he had received some sort of
shock. Forrest, who was lurking back in the shadows, cursed him for a
timid fool.

"Open the door, man," he whispered. "Don't stan