Dense blackness fell. A shadow but little deeper than the darkness about him, Mike flitted across the room. He vanished, utterly without sound.
Then a faint scratching sound. The bound man was struggling to release himself, struggling with a terrible desperation and a horrifying futility. Mike, crouched down in a tiny book-closet, heard it. He was keyed up to an incredible pitch, every nerve quivering like a tightly-strung wire. Mike was no longer intent upon robbery. One of the first rules of your old-time safe-cracker is to go through with a job only when everything is right. Mike was as suspicious of the unexpected as any wild animal. Just now his only desire was to get away–peacefully, if possible, but to get away.
He lay still. The scent of books and dust came to his nostrils, but he did not dare make a light to see. He smelled, too, that curious, rubbery smell of new electric insulation. There were wires in the closet somewhere, newly placed. Mike lay still.
Then he felt, rather than heard, someone enter the vault-room. There was a door between him and the newcomer, but he knew the instant that the other man entered. There was a moment of silence. Mike saw an infinitely faint glow through the keyhole. Someone was using a flash.
II
Frozen in utter stillness, Mike listened for the watchman’s exclamation of astonishment at sight of the bound man on the floor. Instead, he heard only a faint murmur. Then he caught words, faintly amused.
“Just got out, Jack, eh? I heard you fall. Out of luck, though. The watchman was in the other building. I saw him go in. He didn’t hear you.”
Then little noises as if the helpless man were being turned over–inspected to make sure the bonds were firmly in place. Then Mike felt that the last-come man was somewhat relieved.
“Don’t know how you got loose, Jack,” said the voice, as before kept lowered, “but you didn’t do any harm, anyhow. And the watchman won’t be back for an hour yet. I’ll be getting to work.”
There was a sound like a groan, as if the bound man were trying to make some sound or plea; but footsteps crossed lightly to the vault.