Y AFTER TO-MORROW

The pair stood eyeing each other like two fencers, Dick with the crowbar
raised, and pointing at his heart the blade which would pierce it when the
Spaniard dared advance an inch.

I longed to shout "Fling the crowbar at his head!" But if Dick's eye
released the eye of his opponent he was a dead man, I must not risk
distracting him for the fraction of a second.

It seemed an hour, though it could not have been a minute when, as if my
thought had winged to his brain, the thick iron bar whirled through the
air, and struck the old man full upon the forehead. The Toledo blade
dropped from his hand, and he fell back without a cry, his head inside the
open door.

"Is he dead?" I called.

Dick bent over the limp body; but, after a long moment, he was up again,
waving a big, old-fashioned key.

"No," he answered. "Heart beating. Bad penny. He'll be all right. This the
key of spider's parlour?"

"I think so," I said. "Dick, you're just in time to keep me from giving
in. I'm starved."

He stooped and picked up the crowbar.

"Old brute! I've a mind to finish him!" he exclaimed.

"You don't mean that," I said. "But look for something to tie him up with.
He may come to himself before we're off."

"I guess I'll just tote him along with me," said Dick. "Safe bind, safe
find."

Gathering up the long body as if it had been the form of a sleeping child,
Dick disappeared into the house. I knew that he was looking for the door
of my cage, and presently--for the first time with pleasure--I heard the
slipping back of the bolt and turning of the key.

Already I was at the door, opening it for Dick to come in with his heavy
burden.

"Here's the bed," I said, and Dick laid his burden down, not too gently.
Then I think the next thing we did was to shake hands.

"Blessed old man!" exclaimed Dick, a little unsteadily. "What a beastly
business."

"It's a mystery," I said. "And how you got to me--"

"Conduit," said Dick, "But I'll tell you all about that, and everything.
Got no electric light here?"

"Nothing but starlight. For Heaven's sake, tell me about Monica!"

"She's all right," said Dick. "Not a Duchess yet, if that's what worries
you. Look here, if this place has been good enough to box you up in all
this time, it's good enough to keep _him_ in--" (He nodded towards the
alcove.) "He lives alone here, without servants; I've found out all that,
with a lot more; and his master--guess you know who--i