Besides, you possess
the elixir of life, and can prolong your existence as much as you
like, can't you?"
The expert noticed a cruel smile on the Doctor's face, and, feeling
himself in danger, tried to spring up, but the arms of the chair had
closed around him, and he was held fast. The next moment Doctor
Coctier seemed to be seeking for something in the sand with his left
foot, and, when he had found it, he pressed with all his weight on
the invisible object.
"Farewell, young man," he said; "loquacious, conceited young man,
who wanted to lord it over Doctor Coctier. Now I will settle the
King for you."
The seat disappeared in the earth with the expert. It was an
oubliette--a pit with a trap-door, which drew the veil of oblivion
over the man who had vanished.
When he had finished the affair, the Doctor sought to leave the
labyrinth, but could not find the way at once, for he was deep in
thought, and kept on repeating the formula for the elixir which he
had just learnt, to impress it on his mind, in case the recipe
should be lost--"oil of vitriol, salts of ammonia, saltpetre."
Suddenly he found himself in a round space where many paths
converged, and to his great astonishment saw a body lying on the
ground. It looked like that of a large brown watchdog, but limp and
lifeless.
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