"Leave the matter to me, gentlemen," counseled the professor quietly. "I shall do everything possible." The coal baron and the food-trust magnate continued to dwell upon their harrowing experiences with various degrees of intensity until a command for silence came from a word-box somewhere around us. Our raucous tones were keeping the people awake all over the city, the talking machine averred, and unless we became instantly quiet the authorities would take the matter in hand. This threat had the desired result. We gave over our conversation and settled ourselves for the night. I do not know how long I slept, but it must have been some hours. I was aroused to find it still dark and to behold the professor with a lighted match in one hand and his other hand over my lips. The burning match threw a fitful glare around the open space and even reached to the roof tops beyond. Both the palace and the imperial exchequer were brought shadowily forth out of the gloom. "Now is the time, Mr. Munn!" whispered the professor. "The time?" I returned sotto voce. "Time for what?" Without a word he pointed to the square building under the wing of the palace. I understood. It was now or never if I intended to make my raid and secure the Bolla. I started erect. "You have matches, Mr. Munn?" the professor asked in the very faintest of audible tones. I nodded. "You must be very careful to keep to the street until you reach the country," the professor went on. "If you should make a misstep and wreck a block of houses the disaster would be irretrievable." "I will strike matches and light my way until I get well into the hills," said I. "Just what I should have suggested," said he. "Good-by, Mr. Munn. Fail not to return with the exchequer as soon as the king of Baigol has secured the Bolla. Meantime I shall hope to get the car in readiness to speed our departure." We struck hands as men will when confronted by an issue of life and death. Then I stepped into the street, bent over the imperial exchequer, and wrenched it from its foundations. It was a well-constructed building, and, although its contents jingled like a rattle box when I took it under my arm, it did not give way in any part. Striking a match on the roof of the exchequer, I lighted my way down the street, picking my steps with care and caution. *CHAPTER XVI.* *HOW ILL-LUCK OVERTOOK ME.* Good fortune fared forth with me from the royal city and remained steadfastly at my right hand as long as the matches lasted; but when the last one had flickered out and left me in impenetrable gloom, my troubles began. I was well into the rough country when the lights failed, threading a road bordered by hills that in some places were shoulder high. About the first thing I did was to blunder off the trail; in trying to regain it I stumbled over a five-foot mountain and went down all of a heap.