Pagina 483 di 657

The firemen had been much perturbed at the strange arrangements

which they had found within, and still more so by discovering a

newly severed human thumb upon a window-sill of the second floor.

About sunset, however, their efforts were at last successful, and

they subdued the flames, but not before the roof had fallen in,

and the whole place been reduced to such absolute ruin that, save

some twisted cylinders and iron piping, not a trace remained of

the machinery which had cost our unfortunate acquaintance so

dearly. Large masses of nickel and of tin were discovered stored

in an out-house, but no coins were to be found, which may have

explained the presence of those bulky boxes which have been

already referred to.