The moment the Resurrection Man was thus relieved from the observation of his companions, he seized the candle and hastened into the back room, where he expected to find the corpse of Richard Markham stripped and washed.
To his surprise the room was empty.
"What the devil has the old fool been up to?" he exclaimed: then, hastening to the foot of the stairs, he cried, "Mummy, are you awake?"
In a few moments a door on the first floor opened, and the old woman appeared in her night gear at the head of the stairs.
"Is that you, Tony?" she exclaimed.
"Yes! who the hell do you think it could be? But what have you done with the fresh 'un?"
"The fresh 'un came alive again——"
"Gammon! Where is the money? how much was there? and is his skull fractured?" demanded the Resurrection Man.
"I tell you that he came to his senses," returned the old hag: "and that he sprung upon me like a tiger when I went into the back room after you was gone."
"Damnation! what a fool I was not to stick three inches of cold steel into him!" ejaculated the Resurrection Man, stamping his foot. "So I suppose he got clear away—money and all?—gone, may be, to fetch the traps!"