rs." And he proceeded to catechize and badger them one by one,
filling page after page of his notebook with their replies.

Meanwhile Brietmann searched tent after tent; ransacking bags,
portmanteaux and boxes, shaking out clothing and blankets, and prying
into every conceivable article in a vain endeavor to find the stones;
whilst the indignant quartette under examination broke out again and
again in a storm of impotent wrath.

In the middle of this hubbub the professor's voice was heard for the
first time.

"Hush!" he commanded sternly, "in the name of common humanity, hush! at
least for a minute. The man is dying."

Even as he spoke, Grosman, the death rattle in his throat, in a last
convulsive effort, raised himself on his elbow, and with a terrible
look on his face pointed an accusing finger at Gilderman and the group
round him, and with a last choking attempt at speech fell back dead.

Immediately Brietmann, who had finished his search in the other tents,
and stood looking on, addressed the wachtmeister:

"There is nothing there," he said, "and there remains but this the Herr
Professor's tent to search."

The wachtmeister turned apologetically to the professor:

"The Herr Professor will permit?" he asked.

"And why this indignity, Brandt?" demanded the professor sternly.

"It is my duty, Herr Professor; in such cases I may not discriminate,"
apologized Brandt, "and it is but a matter of form."

"So be it, search!" and the offended professor turned again to the dead
man, ignoring the industrious Brietmann, who emptied bags, unlocked
boxes, peered into jars of chemicals, and generally upset the
scientist's most sacred possessions.

At length, in a dark corner of the tent, Brietmann came to a black box
secured with a big padlock.

"Herr Professor," he called; "this box. It is locked."

The professor simply grunted.

"The key, Herr Professor," he persisted.

"I advise you to leave that box alone," growled the owner.

"It must be opened, nicht warum, wachtmeister?" asked Brietmann of the
sergeant.

"Ja wohl," said the wachtmeister.

"Again I advise you not," said the old man. "Surely there is no need; I
do not wish it opened."

By now every one was looking at the professor with wonder or suspicion,
even Dick could not understand his reluctance to have the box opened.

"Sehr gut," said he, as all eyes were turned on him, "take the key!"
and he flung it over to where Brietmann knelt by the box.