The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-12-17

darkness and fell heavily. Roy turned
in time to see the man shoot over the
rolling barrel and half through the
doorway. A shadowy pair Of legs were
still waving wildly in air. With for
chile kick on the barrel he sent the
burglar forward into the oven and
down on the swinging shelf.
Immediately the wheel turned under
it's burden. In another instant it be-
came still, and Roy knew that his man
was safely immured at the bottom Of
the vault.
After a moment he put his head into
the oven and called down:
You're not hurt, are you?''
The curses which issued from the
depths reassured him. The burglars
silence since his rapid descent had
evidently been due to amazement and
fear.
Roy could hear him prowling eau
tiously about inside, feeling the brick
wall, and at last rattling the iron base
ment door. 1t was fast, and then the
man began to plead Tor mercy.
LET me out, young feller!' he
begged. 'Say, I've got whole lot of
money I'll give you if you'll only let
me out; honest, will"
"No," Roy answered. 'I guess you
can lie over with the crackers"
The burglars voice became plaintive:
"Ah, go on, let me out. Yon don't
want to ruin man for life. Say, hon.
est, it's the first time I ever done such
thing. I was drove to it by my wife
and babies starvin'."
"You said you had a lot Of money
you would give me-" Roy reminded
him.
Then the man broke out cursing
again, and Roy slammed the door. The
cursing subsided, and before long Roy
heard faint and frightened voice Pc
titioning:
"Let me speak to you, young feller!
Open the door!'
The boy obliged his prisoner to this
extent, and then the burglar said:
"You amt cruel enough to keep a
man down here. I'll be baked alive"
There's no fire under the oven."
Roy told him, "and I'll see they don't
light up till after the police get you.
Don't be uneasy. Now I've got to
close the door or the crackers will set
spoiled"
For the remainder Of the night he
was deaf to the entreaties that from
time to time walled up from the inter-
ior of the vault.
At last, in the early morning light,
the foreman and other packers came,
and Roy announced his capture.
"He must have slipped in at the side
door and got up the stairs when the
bakers weren't looking" the boy said.
"And I suppose he didn't hear me be-
cause had on overshoes, and the office
door was pretty nearly shut. BE didn't
get into the safe"
The foreman looked at Roy with ad-
miration. "Boy," he said. you've done
good nights work. And you got
here at $50. eh? Well. it certainly is
the early bird that catches the burg
lar"
One Of the other boys was for light
ing small fire under the oven, "just
to SINCE him." but the foreman said no.
and telephoned to police headquarters.
Five minutes later the chief and one
Of his men arrived. and when the oven
door was opened. and the prisoner
crawled sulkily forth to have the
"Dracelets" snapped on his wrists, the
officers gave cry of delight.
"Slim Jim McLean" exclaimed the
chief.
you'd never have got me"' said Slim
Jim, visiously. Then he took maleT-
olent look at the four boys. II don't
know which one of you young fellers
it was, but when I get out I'll make
one Of you pay for this!'
The chief laughed. II guess you're
safe for about twenty years. Roy" he
said, land by that time you'll be able
to raise chin whiskers and disguise
yourself." f."-Youth's Companion.