Then, with the young man preceding us, the frontiersman and I cautiously made our way down the cold—dark—and exceptionally musty—stairwell, until we came at length to the foot of the descent and stood upon the damp floor of the catacomb-like basement.

By the glow of the lantern, I now perceived that the extensive collection of cultural artifacts, biological specimens, and scientific curiosities that filled the three main floors of the museum constituted only a portion of its contents; for here, stretching in every direction, was a vast accumulation of items that had been consigned to the basement for the purpose of storage. As Carlton raised his lantern and surveyed our surroundings, I could see in its beam a seemingly endless medley of rare and remarkable objets: several mummified cats, the jawbones of a spermacetti whale, an entire stuffed rhinoceros, a Chinese opium pipe, a lifesized wax figurine of Julius Caesar, a precise replica of the famed Liberty Bell that hangs in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall—and much, much more.

“This way, gentlemen,” said Carlton, directing the beam of his lantern approximately thirty degrees to the left, where I now perceived the mouth of what appeared to be a narrow, low-arched tunnel. Stooping our heads, we made our way through this cramped and labyrinthine passage—whose damp walls gleamed with a white web-work of nitre—and proceeded, by slow degrees, into the furthermost recesses of the basement.

At length—after innumerable windings—we emerged into a large, high-ceilinged chamber, or rather vault, illuminated by the flames of several oil lamps that had been placed atop some of the myriad storage crates, puncheons, and barrels that were piled everywhere about us. I immediately spied Captain Russell, who—along with three other police officers and a gray-haired gentleman I could not immediately identify—was standing several yards away, beside an upturned, iron-hooped cask at the remote end of the vault

“Ah,” said the captain, as we approached. “I had almost despaired of your coming.”

“Having been engaged on an errand of some moment,” I replied, coming up beside him, “we did not receive your message until a short while ago, at which point we set out at once for the museum.”

“I assume,” said Russell, “that Officer Carlton has already apprised you of the reason for my summons.”

Acknowledging the accuracy of this observation with an affirmative nod, I gazed about the area and grimly inquired: “Where is the body?”

Without a word, Russell extended a hand toward the upright cask. Casting my gaze at this receptacle, I now saw that its lid had been removed. Its interior, however, was entirely cloaked in shadow» Bending closer, I peered inside, while Officer Carlton—to facilitate my inspection—extended his lantern over my left shoulder, so that its beam fell directly on the contents of the cask.