"Where is the key of the safe?"

I was enraged at the sound of his voice.

"You shall never know, you vile devil!" I cried.

"Give it to him," he exclaimed sharply to the two men in German. As he
spoke I heard the sharp report of two sporting guns, one charged with
black powder, one, from its quick sharp crack, with smokeless, _quite
near_. There were two sportsmen.

Then--oh my God!--began that awful torture of a strong current of
electricity passing up my arms.

I threw back my head and cried with all my strength, directing my voice
to the open window far above me in the roof of the tower--

"Help! Murder! Help!"

And immediately, to my great joy, I heard an answering shout!

"_Donner und blitzen_!" cried Saumarez, "he has attracted their
attention! Stop his mouth!"

Immediately I felt a handkerchief being rammed into my mouth, but from
far below came the sound of hard knocking on the door of the tower, and
men's voices shouting.

Saumarez rapped out a fearful oath, and gave an order to the men.

"You must carry him down below and drop him through the trap door into
the vaults," he cried. "You will have plenty of time to do it if you
are quick. Unbind him, sharp now!"

The two men commenced to do as he told them and very soon had the
straps off me, then they carried me between them towards the door after
firmly securing the gag in my mouth.

They had got about half-way down the spiral staircase with me, Saumarez
following behind, and I was in an agony of mind that they would succeed
in reaching the vaults with me, when I heard the door burst in below,
and a cheer from several voices, followed by rapid footsteps on the
steps.

"It's no good," cried Saumarez with another oath, "drop him and follow
me up to the roof."

They did drop me very roughly on the stone stairs, but before they went
I heard one of the men cry out--

"Don't kill him in cold blood!"

Then there came the click of a pistol lock followed by a deafening
report, and a bullet struck the step I was lying on about an inch from
my temple. There was a scuffling of feet on the stairs above, mingled
with words of remonstrance in German; the two men were hurrying
Saumarez away.

The report and the impact of the bullet had half stunned me, but I sat
up, and my hands being free, tore the gag out of my mouth. At the same
time, rapid footsteps came up the stairs, and, in a few moments, I
found a very familiar face, with an absolutel