a quarter after four
I saw then that I had brought him to the place I had prepared for , where he had but one object in life , and that was to beat the case up or down stairs ; and as I was now so sleepy I could hardly keep my eyes open , I did what I had intended to do from the first . I lowered the case until it was exactly between the ceiling of the dining-room and the floor of the hall above -- and turned out the electric light . I then tied the steel cable securely to the head of my bed , turned over , and went to sleep , lulled by the shaking of the house as the burglar dashed up and down the stairs . Just how long this continued I do not know , for my sleep was deep and dreamless , but I should judge that the burglar ran himself to death sometime between half-past three and a quarter after four . So great had been his efforts that when I went to remove him I did not recognize him at all . When I had seen him last in the glow of the glass silver case he had been a stout , chunky fellow , and now his remains were those of an emaciated man . He must have run off one hundred and twenty pounds of flesh before he gave out .