I asked, at last. "Was he
injured?"

Godfrey made a little gesture toward the corner.

"Go see for yourself," he said.

Something lay along the wall, on the spot where I had seen that
figure, and as I bent over it, I saw that it was a large net, finely
meshed but very strong.

"That was dropped over Armand's head as he came up the stairs," said
Godfrey, "or flung over him as he came into the room. Then the dead
man yonder jumped upon him and trussed him up with those ropes."

Pushing the net aside, I saw upon the floor a little pile of severed
cords.

"Yes," I agreed; "he would be able to do that. Have you noticed his
size, Godfrey? He was almost a giant!"

"He couldn't have done it if Armand hadn't been willing that he
should," retorted Godfrey, curtly. "You see he had no difficulty in
getting away," and he held up the net and pointed to the great rents
in it. "He cut his way out while he was lying there--I ought to have
known--I ought to have known he wasn't bound--that he was only
waiting--but it was all so sudden...."

He threw the net down upon the floor with a gesture of disgust and
despair. Then he stopped in front of the Boule cabinet and looked
down at it musingly; and, after a moment, his face brightened.

The burlap wrappings had been almost wholly torn away, and the
cabinet stood, more insolently beautiful than ever, it seemed to me,
under the rays of the sun, which sparkled and glittered and shimmered
as they fell upon it.

"But we'll get him, Simmonds," said Godfrey, and his lips broke into
a smile. "In fact, we've got him now. We have only to wait, and he'll
walk into our arms. Simmonds, I want you to lock this cabinet up in
the strongest cell around at your station; and carry the key
yourself."

"Lock it up?" stammered Simmonds, staring at him.

"Yes," said Godfrey, "lock it up. That's our one salvation!" His face
was glowing; he was quite himself again, alert, confident of victory.
"You're in charge of this case, aren't you? Well, lock it up, and
give your reasons to nobody."

"That'll be easy," laughed Simmonds. "I haven't got any reasons."

"Oh, yes, you have," and Godfrey bent upon him a gaze that was
positively hypnotic. "You will do it because I want you to, and
because I tell you that, sooner or later, if you keep this cabinet
safe where no one can get at it, the man we want will walk into our
hands. And I'll tell you more than that, Simmonds; if we do get him,
I'll have the bi