climbing it, how are you going to get over it again with Thomas Roch?
What if the madman cries out--what if he should resist--what if his
keeper gives the alarm?"

"Don't worry yourself in the least about that. We have only got to go
in and come out by this door."

Captain Spade pointed to a narrow door let into the wall a few
paces distant, and which was doubtless used by the staff of the
establishment when they had occasion to go out by the river.

"That is the way I propose to go in. It's much easier than scaling the
wall with a ladder."

"But the door is closed."

"It will open."

"Has it no bolts?"

"Yes, but I shot them back while we were strolling about, and the
director didn't notice what I had done."

"How are you going to open it?" queried the Count, going to the door.

"Here is the key," replied Spade, producing it.

He had withdrawn it from the lock, where it happened to be, when he
had unbolted the door.

"Capital!" exclaimed the Count. "It couldn't be better. The business
will be easier than I expected. Let us get back to the schooner. At
eight o'clock one of the boats will put you ashore with five men."

"Yes, five men will do," said Captain Spade. "There will be enough of
them to effect our object even if the keeper is aroused and it becomes
necessary to put him out of the way."

"Put him out of the way--well, if it becomes absolutely necessary of
course you must, but it would be better to seize him too and bring him
aboard the _Ebba_ Who knows but what he has already learned a part of
Roch's secret?"

"True."

"Besides, Thomas Roch is used to him, and I don't propose to make him
change his habitudes in any way."

This observation was accompanied by such a significant smile that
Captain Spade could entertain no doubt as to the role reserved for the
warder of Healthful House.

The plan to kidnap them both was thus settled, and appeared to have
every chance of being successful; unless during the couple of hours of
daylight that yet remained it was noticed that the key of the door had
been stolen and the bolts drawn back, Captain Spade and his men could
at least count upon being able to enter the park, and the rest, the
captain affirmed, would be easy enough.

Thomas Roch was the only patient in the establishment isolated and
kept under special surveillance. All the other invalids lived in the
main building, or occupied pavilions in the front of the park. The
plan was to try and sei