ders and ropes. Meanwhile,
the crowd of curious onlookers was increasing with amazing rapidity.

"Monsieur Nanteuil was the first to be drawn up from the pit; by a
miracle he had escaped injury; unfortunately, the clerks of the
Barbey-Nanteuil bank had not got off so well; bruises, contusions, cases
of severe shock, more or less serious, had to be attended to by
neighbouring chemists.

"Monsieur Nanteuil, reassured as to the fate of his clerks, turned his
attention to the hand-cart and its millions of bullion, and the police
in charge were given to understand that it must be drawn up without
delay.

"Into the pit the firemen once more descended; at first they were
surprised not to find the hand-cart and its millions! No doubt, it had
been covered by the mass of fallen bricks and mortar! But fireman Le
Goffic, who had advanced some yards along the railway line, caught sight
of it. The cart was lying upside down; but, except for a few scratches,
it was found to be unbroken.

"It was immediately hauled up to the roadway. Monsieur Nanteuil at once
ascertained that the seals were intact. He then gave orders that it was
to be taken back to the Barbey-Nanteuil bank without delay. As the
train, which was to have borne away the bullion, had left the station
hours ago, Monsieur Nanteuil decided to break the seals, and place the
bullion in one of the bank's safes for the night.

"Monsieur Nanteuil's stupefaction can be imagined when, having unsealed
and opened the hand-cart, he realised that the sacks of gold had been
replaced by sacks of lead!

"It was at this moment that Monsieur Barbey was informed of the fact by
his half-frantic partner. We were witnesses of this dramatic scene.

"Every second was of value: instant action was the thing! Police
headquarters was warned at once; and, but a few minutes had elapsed,
when Monsieur Havard arrived in a taxicab to take charge of the
investigations.

"Thanks to the courtesy of Monsieur Havard, we were allowed to accompany
him to the stone-yards of the Metropolitan: the police were convinced
that it was hereabouts that the robbery had been accomplished. We
reached the spot about an hour after the explosion. The first
investigations produced no result; but Monsieur Havard pursued his
solitary search up one of the sidings, and had his reward. His
exclamation was heard, and we hastened to the spot.... He had just found
a second hand-cart, in all points similar to that he had recen