arance again. Lester was suffering intense pain
from the terrible bruise on his head at the base of the brain, but he
set his teeth hard together, determining that his mortal foe should not
know it.

"Ah!" exclaimed Kendale, sneeringly. "Wide awake, I see!--probably the
fixed habit of years. You have, no doubt, come to a more sensible frame
of mind than I left you in last night, I trust, regarding the
information I want concerning the combination of the big safe in the
private office of Marsh & Co."

"I will never reveal it to you," cried Lester. "Never!"

For an instant a black, malignant scowl swept over Kendale's face, but
after a moment's deep thought he turned on his heel again, laughing
immoderately as he stepped to the door and held a low conversation with
the two men who were still in the outer apartment, and in a trice they
had joined Kendale, one of them still wearing the black mask which he
had used the night before.

"We will proceed to relieve him of his private papers, keys, wallet, and
so forth," said Kendale; and, as if in compliance with some previously
arranged plan, the three set upon Lester, and in his almost helpless
condition it was not difficult to overpower him and take from him his
possessions, which Kendale quickly took charge of.

In the encounter, owing to his exhausted condition, Lester lost
consciousness; and thus they left him, making him their prisoner by
turning the key in the lock again when they reached the outer room.

"And now," said Halloran, removing the square of black linen from his
face, "what's next on the programme?"

"Our friend, the cabby, will take me back to town with as much speed as
possible. You, my dear fellow, will remain here on guard, making
yourself as comfortable as is absolutely possible under the dismal
circumstances of keeping guard and circumventing any attempt of our
prisoner to escape. You know we have great need of him yet, in forcing
him to disclose much that is advantageous to us. We can starve it out of
him, if threats fail. As long as you have a good warm fire, plenty of
provisions and plenty to read here you ought not to complain. You are
having the easiest part of the bargain, Halloran, while I am doing all
of the hazardous work."

"What if I should be suspected in the _role_ I am about to play for the
Marsh millions? Why, it would mean State's prison instead of the fortune
we have planned for so desperately."

"You will carry it through al