"
Then he stopped and pondered.
"But who stole the box? Not Santiago, for he has not left his
room for days. If it was Strong, he must have entered the bank
from some direction other than this. I don't understand, but I'm
going to make some further investigation."
He reentered his room, buckled on his automatic and took from his
suit case--which, by the way, he had located at the railway
station along with that of his companions after the occupation of
the city by the marines--his electric torch. Then he went out and
descended the stairs, which he discovered were twenty-four in
number.
Reaching the bottom he found himself upon a landing some six or
eight feet square, from the opposite side of which another flight
of stairs ascended.
"I reckon I better see where they lead to," was his comment as he
slowly began their ascent.
After going up eighteen stairs his head touched the floor above.
He counted the remaining steps by the light of his torch and
found that there were six more. This would make the floor over
his head on an exact level with the floor of Santiago's house.
"It's just as I expected," he muttered. "If I can get
through this floor, I shall find myself in Don Esteban's
residence--somewhere.
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