The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-11-16
WHAT HAPPENED TO-
n THE BULLION-BOX II
H. HERVEY Indian Telegraph Service
Saharunpore, N.

alive that he now craved the indulg-
ence.
The request was granted and, after
| profusely thanking his patron, the
confidential clerk withdrew. Instead
however, of proceeding to his village,
Thotaram, Disgusting himself as an in,
fantry havildar or sergeant on the look
out for recruits took the next train
to Magma. He was well aware that
the case OF 'old nails" would not ar
rive for another four days by goods
train, SO he had time to mature his
plans. He first set to work to ingra-
| tate himself with the handful of ma
tive employees at the small station,
which was easily done. He knew there
were no military In those parts. and,
being well-set-up fellow, he was able
not only to pass himself off success
fully as a recruiting sergeant, but re-
eeived permission, as such, to put up
on the premises till the people poured
in to the local fair which he gave out
he was going to attend. In noncha-
liant manner and not TOO hurriedly, he
sauntered off to the little NAL godam,
or goods shed. where he found the sin
gle clerk, a Bengali named Hiralal
Seal, doing nothing in particular. Elk
erting all his inherent affability Tho
taram speedily established a good I'M
derstanding with the babu Clerk, and
by closing time he had pretty well as
sured himself that the latter would
prove only too ready to fall in with his
views. Seal, for his sins, had been
shunted to this great distance from
Lower Bengal; he was an idle, DISCO
lutte fellow, but had so far been able
to escape the consequences of his bad
conduct through the influence Of senior
relatives holding respectable positions
In the head Office of the railway.
That evening the two met by APP.
pointment. and Thotaram, intuitively
divining the shortest road to the ba-
bus heart, treated him to a regular
jaunt, after the native idea. Thotaram
paid for everything throughout, much
TO the Bengali's admiration and envy.
He bemoaned his state Of chronic i'm
pecuniosity and his wretched salary
of twenty-five rupees month.
This was precisely the state Of mind
Thotaram desired his eomrade TO be in
Seated with the babu on the station
yard fencing, preparatory to parting
for the night, little by little the schem-
err unfolded his plan. He found Seal
not only plant, but eager to partjci-
pate, and before they separated the
two young scoundrels had agreed to
| help themselves to the contents of n
certain case marked "Old Nails" the
moment 1t should turn up at the Nagi-
ma goods shed.
in due course the precious case ar
rived and was unloaded ut the goods
shed. Thotaram. by now a privileged
loiterer-es especially in that part of the
station premises presided over by Seal
took occasion to examine the box.
He felt satisfied it was intact: in exact
| ~ the same state rs when booked hy
him at Kangri. That evening Seal cas-
ually mentioned to the choukidars
| twatchmen) and porters that rs he had
some returns to get through he should
not leave the shed till late. He ordered
the lamp-man to prepare 4 lamp and
| place ii in his partitioned office. had
all the doors and exits except one So.
cured, and told all the underlings to ro
! home. but to return punctually nj @
and that he would be responsible for
things in the meanwhile. Native-like.
and nothing 10th, the whole posse
cleared out. and hardly had the last
man disappeared when Thotaram.
stealing up to and tapping gently at the
unbarred door. was admitted nv his
confederate. The two had prenared
everything beforehand cold chisels
hammer, pincers and, what was more
important than all, a plentiful supply
or old nails, which had been collected
aud struggled in during the interval of
waiting.
After thoroughly searching everv
dark corner of the shed. and even walk
ing twice round its exterior TO assure
themselves that no one watched them
through possible cracks and assures in
the woodwork, they put the case on tho
platform scales. carefully noted the
weight, compared it with that entered
IN the invoice. and then gingerly
opened the box. This done, they took
out the silver bars. and then. emptyinc
the case of the cleats used TO hold the
precious metal immohile they replaced
the box on the weighing machine and
erammed In old nails till the original
weight had been arrived at. After this
/ they carefully re-nailed the lid, using
ne same holes. and the first act in the