River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-04-21

IT so happened, therefore, that By
permission of the section foreman a
burly night Waterman came on an
hour after Britches left This night
Waterman had bushy beard. Other.
wise he had the same proportions OF
Mr.. Britches Bellnan. "In course,
the night Waterman assured himself,
1.-The union wouldn't stand for me
workin' day and night, so I gotter
plaster or the makeup. And | gotter
watch that hole to see she don't get
away from me. For when hole gets
away from a man-especially a hole
like this One-it amt no easy job to
get another
Mr. Bellman had worked only few
days and few nights when he struck
something with his spade that gave
him joy.
"If this amt vein of gold bearing
ore," said Mr.. Britches. 'I'll wager
it's the underground part of the Coun-
ty banks underpinnings; and if it's
that, why then it is a vein of gold"
He was right. 1t was q portion OF
the banks cellar wall. He hastily COW
cred it up, hung around until the whis-
tie blew, then he left and, returning
later in the evening, brought with him
a new set of sharp tools.
I'll get this job finished by morn
ing" said this night Waterman, cor
I'm a Dutchman."
He removed a layer Of tar coating;
then a layer of cement. Then he struck
the bricks.
Now" he said to himself, eff she
amt more than three feet thick I'll
have her through in no time. That's
what"
But that wall was a blank wall, and
it had been laid many, many years
before, when there were no trade
unions, and no employers associations,
and when cement and bricks were
cement and bricks. When the first
gray streaks of dawn had appeared in
the sky above the subway Britches
had not finished But he judged from
the sound his hammer made that
there was but one layer of bricks still
to be removed.
Tomorrow night" said Britches to
himself, tonight, / mean, why-the
trickll be turned to T. And no mis-
take"
He took day off and rested up. He
was made of flesh and blood and he
was tired. But that night he started
in, refreshed in mind and body. A
deep peace was upon him, for he knew
that in 20 minutes he would be inside
the bank. And there was no man in
the whole world who understood the
inside OF a bank as we'll as Britches
Bellman.
One by one he loosed the bricks; ne
was right; it was the last layer. Little
by little the hole widened. He stuck
his head inside. 1t was dark as pitch.
He was prepared for this; prepared
with a dark lantern.
Now" he finally explained, a huge
Joy possessing him, ''now, here | am. !"
The hole was just wide enough to ad-
nit his body, and he pulled himself
carefully through and dropped down to
the inside floor.
"Io, ho!" exclaimed Mr.. Britches
Bellman, softly, this is nuts, for
fair"
He didn't want to show light. So
he CROPPED his way carefully about
across what seemed to be a little room.
1t was, as he suspected, a coal cellar.
He crossed it, and the boiler room;
picked lock and entered still another
room. In this room he walked into a
wall and stepped back suddenly. AS ne
did so his heel trod upon something
soft Suddenly the room was flooded
with a bright white light. Britches
gasped and looked behind him.
You stepped on my corn" growled
voice in his ear. It was the voice of
very big man. This big man placed
his hand upon Mr.. Bellman's shoulder.
Then Bellman looked in front of him.
Two other men were looking on, smok-
ing cigars. They wore blue uniforms
and brass buttons. They smiled on
Britches Bellman.
us this the gentleman" said one,
archly, who has no use for evidence"
Bellman gasped again. "The bank, !"
said another, has been a-watchin' you
for two days; they wanted to stop you,
but we wanted you to go on, until you
finished the-the job"
"Gee!" gasped Bellman, holding ont
his wrists, "I-I finished it, all right. .