Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-11-25

laSb uISuU uc WCuUOu, six OF us.
What will they .hink il only three
leave to-night?"
was nonplussed.
81 rather like the idea," resumed
the boss; s'but / think we should have
help Suppose we get q couple of
Schinken's men?"
Sergeant Schinken was q kind of
semf-pub.ic, semi-private police officer
with staff of men, who were largely
employed by race committees in the
task of preserving order in the en-
closures, and excluding bad and
doubtful characters. They Travelled
about to meetings like ourselves, and
in this way sort of intimacy sprang
up.
s.Oh, they'd just be as bad as the
locals" said. .sThey'd want to boss
the whole affair, and very likely spoil
it. l'll tell you what; I'll ask three
young fellows 1 know to come and
have game at cards at our diggings
tonight I'll tell them to call for us
at the office half an hour or SO before
VIC close At closing-time VIC can
make some excuse, and send them off
with our own three men, whilst you.
Harper, and / remain"
He still hcsltatcd. I could see he
was again more than half inclined to
let the police deaf with the matter.
or course sresponsibility.was heavy;
and should anything go wrong, he
would certainly he severely ccnsurcd.
had, however, the utmost confidence
in my plan, and would or could see
no possibility of failure: SO that,
eventually, succeeded in gaining his
consent.
This done, was only anxious for
the racing to conclude, that we might
get down to the town and prepare
our surprise party. At o'clock the
final race was run: and an hour later
we were hard at it i'm the town, wir-
ing full account of the days doings
Only the three OF us already men,
TONED knew of the projected attempI
and our counter-plan; and we, con-
vinced that we would bc overlooked,
assumed to the best of our abilities
an ordinary manner and bearing.
Harper produced as usual his CASH
box and sheets, counted and balanced
his account, telling the money, which
amounted to about eighty pounds. out
on the counter before him. Finally.
he replaced it in the box, which he
handed to the boss, who placed it in
| the safe, closing, but not locking, the
door.
Meanwhile, had, quietly and un-
observed. procured a box very similar
to Harpers's. and after partly filling
it with some odd pieces of metal, /
fastened one end of long wire to its
brass handle. 1 prepared another
similar piece of wire. Ostensibly for
working purposes, I had gathered all
the batteries at our command UNDER
meath the counter, and when the
work was over, 1 quietly knelt down
and Joined them altogether in series.
At the same time l fastened one
end OF my spare wire to the negative
pole of this monster battery; and
then, standing up and leaning over
the counter, succeeded, unnoticed, i'm
attaching the other end of the wire
to narrow brass rail which ran
along the top edge of the counter L
must explain, that in order to reach
the safe from the pantry door, as we
! called it. it was necessary to pass all
most the entire length of this
counter, and of course to repass it in
returning.
The hour for closing arrived: My
three friends had been waiting some
time. Everything being ready, the
boss sent our colleagues home, saying
we would follow shortly. The three
guests went with them.
1t was still raining, and they hurried
off. The gas was Immediately turned
off; and at once opened the safe
and removed the cash-box, which
Harper put in place of safety, and
substituted the one l had prepared
with the length of wire. There was
plenty of slack wire, which we
brought round the back of the safe.
over the other end of the counter,
fastening the free end to the positive
pole of the battery.
All was now ready. We hid behind
the counter and waited. Harper, who
was very bitter against the thieves,
on account of their unhattering de-
scription Of himself, took up his place
close to the Wheatstone transmitter,
clock-work machine driven 10y heavy
weights. and capable of attaining u
very high speed.
An hour passed. 1t struck twelve.
The rain was still beating against the
windows / was stiff and cold and
weary, and was beginning to wish we
we had called in the police, when
heard something a tritic louder than
the rain at the pantry window.
There was quick scratching sound
like a nail drawn across a slate. and
Immediately after we heard the win
dow-latch slipped back and the sash
raised quietly. The men were GER
tainly expert at their work.
Had we not been alert and expect.
ing them. we should not have heard
their operations. In a few moments
the pantry door opened with gentle
crcak, and the marauder was in the
rOOm We held Onr hrAatl,