The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-03-06


warn't nothin' more to be heard. Rest
of the gang might all have been dead
men, for all the sound they made, and
we didn't say nothin'; and SO the night
went on.
eat last we had it all ready, and
were only waiting for the signal to
blow it up and then-money enough to
make us all rich. Tain't such as you
can realize the excitement and the
strain of such a moment. To know it's
all there, ready, and then to have to
wait! It's easier wall<in' over red-hot
Goals. It's all right to go on and work,
but to stay still and only breathe and
listen gives a man the shivers.
presently Jim caught my arm.
"'Say, thought heard voices, did
you? he whispered.
"'The men upstairs / said.
Sounded down Eere. Have your pis-
toll ready
II took my pistol and went round
the vault again carefully, and then held
it up to examine the walls. Then I
shook my head. There warn't no way
we could hear no one.
"'It's the queerest place ever was
in,' said Jim, and by Jove I'll be glad
when we are out fit. Why don't that
signal come? suppose there's any
hitch? swear hear voices again.
"Just then come the signal and Jim
begun to apply dynamite; but his hands
trembled SO and his eyes looked so wild
and excited, his own wife wouldn't
know him.
The money, the money! he whis-
pered, we must have it now
Eve got out of the way just in time
and then out came the door.
"'The inside door, quick!' said Jim,
but the explosion had made that fall
inside, and we could just lift it out.
"'Have the bag ready said Jim, as
he leaned forward to haul out the
great piles of bank notes and silver we
could see by the light of the lanterns.
Islands off, or you are dead man,
at was voice that would most have
walked the dead. dropped my bar and
Jim drew back his hand, caught hold of
me with grip like iron, and we begun
to go slowly back to the ladder.
"The combination is all right; we
have them now, they can't escape u.s.
1--WE were half up the ladder when we
heard the click, click of the lock, and as
we drew the ladder up after us we
could hear the rasping of the hinges of
the iron door.
Fly, fly, for your lives; we are dis
covered said Jim, as he went round to
warn the men; and in the darkness and
the wind and the rain they went away
and / amt never seen one of 'em since.
l heard, though, as when they found
there warn't no one there and the bank
people didn't know nothin' bout it till
the next morning, they just believed as
the bank was haunted, sure.
'Do / know what it was, Judge?
There amt no one else does know, that's
sure. 'Tain't much, after all.
Eyer see, playin' round with my lit
tie ones, l found as could make 'em
hear all kinds of noises anywhere I
wanted, and people cryin' and laughin'.
1t was fun fur them and often done it:
ventriloquizin' l believe you call it;
but that nights the last time. Yer see
none of the gang didn't know bout
that, and l didn't keer ever to have 'em
know it now. It saved the bank with
out my informin', and that's all care
for.
oh, no, judge, the bank don't owe me
nothin'. You'll take care of the papers !?
Thank you. I'm obliged TO you for lis
tening, too. 1t kind of makes me feel
easier.
mo, no. thank you, won't stay and
take no more of your time. Don't got
up; l can find my way out.
Whats that you say, Judge? You
honor and respect meme? And the
bank-land, judge, twarn't me; twas
my wife and children saved the bank,
and I'm proud of 'em-proud of 'em.
judge. Goodnight" = Philadelphia
Times.