ords, he had drawn a sponge and a vial of
chloroform from his side pocket. He saturated the former from the vial,
and then, turning quickly, seized Paul, too much taken by surprise to
make immediate resistance, and applied the sponge to his nose. When he
realized that foul play was meditated, he began to struggle, but he
was in a firm grasp, and the chloroform was already beginning to do
its work. His head began to swim, and he was speedily in a state of
insensibility. When this was accomplished, Mr. Felix Montgomery, eyeing
the insensible boy with satisfaction, put on his hat, walked quickly
to the door, which he locked on the outside, and made his way rapidly
downstairs. Leaving the key at the desk, he left the hotel and
disappeared.

Meanwhile Paul slowly recovered consciousness. As he came to himself,
he looked about him bewildered, not at first comprehending where he was.
All at once it flashed upon him, and he jumped up eagerly and rushed to
the door. He tried in vain to open it.

"I am regularly trapped!" he thought, with a feeling of mingled anger
and vexation. "What a fool I was to let myself be swindled so easily! I
wonder how long I have been lying here insensible?"

Paul was not a boy to give up easily. He meant to get back the ring if
it was a possible thing. The first thing was, of course, to get out of
his present confinement. He was not used to hotel arrangements and never
thought of the bell, but, as the only thing he could think of, began to
pound upon the door. But it so happened that at this time there were no
servants on that floor, and his appeals for help were not heard. Every
moment that he had to wait seemed at least five, for no doubt the man
who had swindled him was improving the time to escape to a place of
safety. Finding that his blows upon the door produced no effect, he
began to jump up and down upon the floor, making, in his heavy boots, a
considerable noise.

The room directly under No. 237 was occupied by an old gentleman of a
very nervous and irascible temper, Mr. Samuel Piper, a country merchant,
who, having occasion to be in the city on business for a few days, had
put up at Lovejoy's Hotel. He had fatigued himself by some business
calls, and was now taking a little rest upon the bed, when he was
aroused from half-sleep by the pounding overhead.

"I wish people would have the decency to keep quiet," he said to
himself, peevishly. "How can I rest with such a confounded racket go