ney-shafts in the neighbourhood watching me with a telescope.

I had a few more absurdly impossible ideas of this kind as I went along
the yard, feeling horribly guilty and ready to give up my undertaking.
The very silence and solitariness of the place startled me, but I went
on and turned in at the open door of the smithy where Pannell worked,
and breathed more freely as I looked round and saw that I was alone.

But to make sure I stepped up on to the work-bench and looked out of the
window, but there was nothing but the dam to be seen there, and I leaped
down and climbed on to the forge, with the coal-dust crushing under my
feet, gave a last glance round, and was about to peer up the
funnel-like, sheet-iron chimney, when there was a loud clang, and I
bounded down, with my heart beating furiously.

I stamped my foot directly after and bit my lips angrily because I had
been such a coward, for I had moved a pair of smiths' tongs when I
stepped up, and they had slid off on to the ground.

"I'm doing what I ought not to do," I said to myself as I jumped on to
the forge again, "but now I've gone so far I must go on."

I peered up in the dark funnel and could see nothing, but I had come
prepared, and striking a match I saw just before me, resting on a sooty
ledge, the object of my quest.

I lifted it down, astounded at its size and weight, and found that it
was an exact imitation of the rat-trap, but with blunt teeth, and a
short steel lever with a point like a crowbar was attached to it by
means of a bit of wire.

It was enormous, and I quite trembled at the idea of carrying it to the
office; but after a sharp glance out of the doorway I took hold of the
trap by the iron chain bound round it, and walked quickly to my own
place, hoping that even if I had been seen, the watcher would not have
been able to make out what I was carrying.

There was not much room to spare when I had laid the great trap in my
desk, the lid of which would only just shut down over it; but once
safely there, and with the key in the lock ready for me to turn if I
heard steps, I had a good look at my treasure.

I was nervous now, and half repentant, for the instrument looked so
formidable that I felt that I should not dare to use it.

I had a good look though, and found that it was very complete with chain
and ring, and that the lever had a head to it like a pin, evidently so
that after it had been used, it could be placed through the ring at