Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1902-10-03
Ten Minutes of Terror
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ihA ghrouded in the mystery and ST.
go lcuce Of The night. This small
ana most private of all the rooms in
rho Bank resembles nothing so
much as a gloomy prison cell. The
steel faces of the all-encircling vaults
seem formidable walls. The small ia
BILE in the center which constitutes,
practically, all the furniture, Is covered
with dark green cloth whose heavy
folds touch the floor on all sides. On
the table is Il porcelain inkstand and
a solitary pen, blunted from the almost
endless labor 1t has ben put TO during
the day This office of the head cash
Ter is the most zealously guarded i'll
the whole bank. for behind those mas
sive walls, now slumbering beneath the
dull glow thrown from the single cell
Ing light, lie great heaps Of money.
Throughout the bank deserted at this
hour, all noise has ceased, and the
this Isolated chamber only as the muir
muir of n distant ocean Presently the
stiffness Is broken by the approaching
footsteps of the Waterman. Lantern
In hand, he throws open the door and
swiftly though carefully scrutinizes
every corner of the dim room. Salts
fed, he turns his key In the communal
teur, and again darkness settles down
like pail as the door Is closed on we'll
oiled hinges. The retreating steps are
at last lost In the distant corridors, and
once more gloom and that brooding
something which, for lack of more
expressive word, must be called mys-
terry. reign supreme
Five minutes pass, and then-is there
a movement; vague, 1t is true but still
n MISUNDERSTANDING among those
shadows? The cloth that covers the
innocent writing table Is lifted from
beneath, a man creeps out on all fours
and rises to his feet. For a moment
he stands and surveys his surround
ings, then, with the manner Of one who
is familiar with every inch Of the
ground, goes toward the walls and, by
pressing one of the many buttons
there, causes the numerous electric
bulbs clustered and single with which
the walls and ceiling are studded, to
burst into light. Quickly returning to
the table. he places thereon with inf
mite precaution a servlctte d'avocat
one of those many-pocketed rolled car
ry-alls with which the French lawyer
burdens himself From one of the
pockets he draws "A cylindrical pack
age, which he handles very ginserly
and places on a book shelf IN a remote
corner of the room. Then from an
other pocket he takes an assortment
of tools brilliant things all, resem
bling baubles of the theater, perhaps.
but which are in reality Infamous and
powerful Instruments After mo
ment's deliberation he chooses from
among them Il pair of scissors With
which he cuts those traitorous wires
that connect the doors Of the vault
with the outside world This accom-
plished, he turns his attention to the
nearest safe. Without hesitation. aud
with marvellous accuracy of movement.
he turns and returns the Indicators
that control the combination. \ slight
click and the wheel stops, Silently and
docilely the heavy doors swing open.
revealing the treasures within. Now
begins the actual task in hand.
Taking from the safe the entire CON
tents he composedly selects only such
portions as can be conveniently car
ried away in the serviette. No coin
lit is too weighty-and from the notes
only those whose value is written in
at least three figures. Surrounded by
this almost countless wealth one can
afford TO be an epicure. Such bills as
find favor in his eyes are laid in even
piles upon the open serviette. which,
as vault after vault is rifled, gradual
ly becomes filed, and when the man
ut length with difficulty fastens the
buckle and breathes sigh of satisfac-
ton his pockets as well are full TO
bursting.
One after another he places the tiny
tools of steel in their case and makes
all Into a bundle \ glance ut his
watch and he goes toward that book
sho'f where, some time SINCE he had
so carefully placed package. This
he brings from its resting place. and
handling it with even greater precau-
ton, lays 1t on the table (the strapped
serviette is now OIL the 1oor) From
this oddly shaped paper bundle he
takes a brass cylinder. 1t contains