He rubbed his head rather ruefully.
But Sir Stanley Digby was suddenly alert.
"Climbing down the ivy, you said? My God, Lomax, you don't think they've got away with it?"
He rushed from the room. For some curious reason nobody spoke during his absence. In a few minutes Sir Stanley returned. His round, chubby face was white as death.
"My God Battle," he said, "they've got it. O'Rourke's fast asleep—drugged, I think. I can't wake him. And the papers have vanished."
Chapter XXI
The Recovery of the Formula
"Der liebe Gott!" said Herr Eberhard in a whisper.
His face had gone chalky white.
George turned a face of dignified reproach on Battle.