"Stand aside, boy," said the doctor--and for once his voice shook slightly. "Do not look again until I call to you. Turn your head aside!" Silent with amazement, Robert Cairn obeyed. He heard his father lift out the iron box. He heard him open it, for he had already perceived that it was not locked. Then quite distinctly, he heard him close it again, and replace it in the _cache_. "Do not turn, boy!" came a hoarse whisper. He did not turn, but waited, his heart beating painfully, for what should happen next. "Stand aside from the door," came the order, "and when I have gone out, do not look after me. I will call to you when it is finished." He obeyed, without demur. His father passed him, and he heard him walking through the damp grass outside the door of the barn. There followed an intolerable interval. From some place, not very distant, he could hear Dr. Cairn moving, hear the chink of glass upon glass, as though he were pouring out something from a stoppered bottle. Then a faint acrid smell was wafted to his nostrils, perceptible even above the heavy odour of the incense from the barn. "Relock the door!" came the cry. Robert Cairn reclosed the door, snapped the padlock fast, and began to fumble with the skeleton keys with which they had come provided. He discovered that to reclose the padlock was quite as difficult as to open it. His hands were trembling too; he was all anxiety to see what had taken place behind him. So that when at last a sharp click told of the task accomplished, he turned in a flash and saw his father placing tufts of grass upon a charred patch from which a faint haze of smoke still arose. He walked over and joined him. "What have you done, sir?" "I have robbed him of his armour," replied the doctor, grimly. His face was very pale, his eyes were very bright. "I have destroyed the _Book of Thoth_!" "Then, he will be unable--" "He will still be able to summon his dreadful servant, Rob. Having summoned him once, he can summon him again, but--" "Well, sir?" "He cannot control him." "Good God!" * * * * * That night brought no repetition of the uncanny attack; and in the grey half light before the dawn, Dr. Cairn and his son, themselves like two phantoms, again crept across the field to the barn. The padlock hung loose in the ring. "Stay where you are, Rob!" cautioned the doctor. He gently pushed the door open--wider--wider--and looked in. There was an overpowering odour of burning flesh. He turned to Robert, and spoke in a steady voice. "The brood of the Witch-Queen is extinct!" he said. * * * * * BY THE SAME AUTHOR THE MYSTERY OF DR. FU-MANCHU THE DEVIL DOCTOR THE SI-FAN MYSTERIES THE YELLOW CLAW EXPLOITS OF CAPT. O'HAGAN TALES OF SECRET EGYPT THE ROMANCE OF SORCERY * * * * *