For a few moments the others stood aghast, staring at their prostrate companion, who writhed slightly for a brief period, uttering a curious sound, and then lay upon his back, stretched out motionless. The younger man was the first to recover himself. "Help!" he gasped, in a hoarse whisper. "Hush!" cried his companion; "are you mad?" He raised his life-preserver threateningly, and the other gazed at him with ghastly face and staring eyes. "What shall we do?" he whispered. "Keep your head, and don't be a fool," was the reply. As the bearded man spoke he went down on one knee, thrust his hand into his comrade's breast, and then rose quickly. "What is it, Harry--poison?" "Yes, grim death, lad." "Then, we've got it, too." "No--all right. The fool! Smell that glass." He took up and held the tumbler to his nose, and then passed it to his companion, who smelt it, and put it down with a shudder. "Come on," he panted; "let's get away." "Without the diamonds--now?" "I'm no use," groaned the younger man. "Hold up, curse you! It's fortune of war. One man down. Prize-money to divide between two instead of three." "Hah!" ejaculated the other, upon whom his comrade's words acted like magic. "I'm all sight, now. Quick! let's have 'em!" The elder man had already thrust his hand into Mark's breast. "Well?" "All right." "Are they there?" "Yes; safe enough." "Get 'em out, then, and let's go. Curse it! Look at old Roger's eyes." There was a dull heavy sound of a door banged, and the two men started up in an agony of dread that the spoil for which they had toiled so patiently and long, never getting it within their clutch till now, was about to be snatched away. It was a door that had been banged, and in their ignorance of the configuration of the place they did not realise that it was in the next house. "Keep your head," said the elder man. "Right. I'm cool enough," was the reply. "Quick! get 'em out, and let's go!" "It would take half an hour to get at them. He has a belt buckled round his waist under everything, and there'll be stones sewn into his clothes all over." "Curse it all!" "Hush! Quick! Take hold of that ulster, and there's his hat." "What are you going to do?" "We've got him. He's drugged, and we can do what we like." "What! bring him away?" "Yes. Quick! take hold of that arm!" "But if he wakes?" "Send him to sleep, as we did the doctor. Now, held your row, do as I do, and keep your head." The younger man obeyed, and catching Mark Heath's arm, as his companion had done on the other side, they placed his hat upon his head, and in a half-conscious way he made an effort to walk, so that they had no difficulty in getting him into the surgery. "Now, then, button-up. I'll hold him," said the elder man. "But when we get him in the street?" whispered the other.