his course, he had important reasons for so
doing, did not say one word. He simply brought out his fountain pen,
screwed it ready for action, and, with his hand resting on a pile of
white paper, he waited.

Juve dictated.

"First of all, put this as your title:

_An Audacious Theft_

"That does not tell the reader anything, but it awakens his
curiosity.... Let us continue!

"Write."

XI

AN AUDACIOUS THEFT

Two hours after Juve had dictated his article to Fandor, our journalist
was reading it, in proof, in the offices of _La Capitale_. His article
ran thus:

"By a fortunate coincidence we found ourselves, this very morning, in
the directorial office of the Barbey-Nanteuil bank, chatting with
Monsieur Barbey himself, when Monsieur Nanteuil arrived, breathless, and
announced to his partner that a sensational robbery had just been
committed in the rue du Quatre Septembre, a robbery involving a sum of
twenty millions representing a clearance recently effected by the
Federated Republic.

"It seems that at ten o'clock this morning, Monsieur Nanteuil
accompanied the little hand-cart used for transferring the bullion and
paper money to the station, from whence it was to be despatched.
According to custom, six of the bank clerks and three plain clothes men
went with Monsieur Nanteuil. But, at the very moment when the hand-cart
passed out of the place de l'Opera and turned the corner of the rue du
Quatre Septembre, that is to say, at the precise moment when it was
passing the palisade, surrounding the works on the Auteuil-Opera
Metropolitan line, a formidable explosion was heard, and the hand-cart,
as well as the men who were drawing it, and escorting it, including
Monsieur Nanteuil himself, disappeared in a deep excavation caused by
the explosion, whilst a water pipe which had burst at the same moment,
poured out torrents of water, flooding the surrounding pavement and
roadway.

"It was then about eleven o'clock in the morning, and the rue du Quatre
Septembre presented a very animated appearance. At the noise of the
explosion, the passers-by were glued to the spot, dazed, stupefied. Then
exclamations broke out on all sides.

"'An accident?'

"'A bomb?'

"The explosion had created a veritable chasm. The first moment of
stupefaction past, policeman 326 quickly organised the rescuers, and
sent notice to the nearest police station. Some minutes later, the
firemen arrived on the scene armed with lad