Anita had expected an explosion. Instead she found that her eyes hurt. She had not closed them tightly quick enough.
Still, Constance's warning had been sufficient to prevent any damage to the sight, and she slowly recovered.
Actually, the burning powder seemed to be sinking into the very steel of the safe itself, as if it had been mere ice!
Was it an optical illusion, a freak of her sight?
"Wh-what is it!" she whispered in awe, drawing closer to her friend.
"Thermit," whispered Constance in reply, as the two watched the glowing mass fascinated, "an invention of a German chemist named Goldschmidt. It will burn a hole right through steel—at a terrific temperature, three thousand or more degrees."
The almost burned out mass seemed to fall into the safe as if it had been a wooden box instead of chrome steel.
They waited a moment, still blinking, to regain control over their eyes in spite of the care they had used to shield them.
Then they tiptoed across the floor.
In the top of the safe yawned a hole large enough to stick one's hand and arm through!