The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-09-22

W
dom of the precaution. Unconscious
ly was acting on what has been one
or my guiding principles ever since.
Pains and patience were required. I
had to get my saddle without waking
the MN, and was not used to cafcb-
ing horses in a horse paddock: then
distrusted the poor mare, and went
back to the stables for a hatful of
oats, which left with her in the
clump, hat and all. There was a dog
too, to reckon with-our very worst
enemy, Bunny-but | had been cute
enough to make immense friends with
him during the evening, and he
wagged his tail, not only when | came
downstairs, but when reappeared al
the back door.
"As the soi-disant new manager |
had been able, in the most ordinary
| course, to pump poor Ewbank about
anything and everything connected
with the working of the bank, especial
~ in those twenty last Invaluable min
utes before turning in, and l had made
very natural point of asking him
where he kept and would recommend
me 20 keep the keys at night OF
course | thought he would take them
with him to his room but no such
fhing-he had dodge worth two of
that. What it was doesn't much mat
ter. but no outsider would have found
those keys in a month of Sundays.
Il of course had them in few Sec
onds, and in a few more | was in the
strong room itself. forgot to say that
the moon had risen and was letting
quite a lot of light into the bank. 1
had, however, brought a bit of candle
with me from my room, and in the
strong room, which was down some
narrow stairs behind the counter in
! the banking chamber, had no hest
tation in lighting it. There was no
window down there, and, though |
could no longer hear old Ewbank snor-
ing, had not the slightest reason to
anticipate disturbance from that quar-
ter. l did think of locking myself in
while l was at work, but, thank good
ness, the iron door had no keyhole on
the inside.
well there were heaps of gold in
the safe but | only took what | need
ed and could comfortably carry, not
much more than couple of hundred
altogether. Not a note would l touch,
and my native caution came out also
in the way | divided the sovereigns
between all my pockets and packed
them up so that | shouldn't be like
the old woman of Banbury Cross. Well,
you think me too cautious still, but |
was insanely cautious then. And so
it was that, just as l was ready to go,
whereas | might have been gone ten
minutes, there came a violent knock
ing at the outer door.
Bunny, it was the outer door of the
banking chamber My candle must
have been seen! And there l stood,
with the grease running hot over my
fingers, in that grave of strong room!
There was only one thing to be done,
l must trust to the sound sleeping
of Ewbank upstairs, open the door
myself, knock the visitor down or
shoot him with the revolver had been
new chum enough to buy before leav-
ing Melbourne and make dash for
that clump of trees and the doctor
mare My mind was made up in an
instant, and l was at the top of the
strong room stairs, the knocking still
continuing, when a second sound drove
me back. 1t was the sound of bare
feet coming along corridor.
MY narrow stair was stone. tum-
bled down it with little noise and had
only to push open the iron door, for
had left the keys in the safe. AS
did so l heard handle turn over
head and thanked my gods that l shut
every single door behind me. You see
old chap, ones caution doesn't always
let one in.
"'Who's that knockingY said Ew
bank up above.
II could not make out the answer
but it sounded to me like the irrele
! want otppllNbtiOh u u SpShb
What l did hear plainly was the cock
ing of the bank revolver before the
bolts We're shot back, then a totter
ing step. a hard, short, shallow breath
ing, and Ewbank's voice in horror:
"My God Good Lord. What's
happened to you? You're bleeding like
pig
"'Not now,' came with a grateful
sort Of sigh.
"'But you have been! What's done
itY
'Bushrangers.'
"'Down the roadY
"'This and Whittlesea-tied to {
tree-cock shots-left me-bleed Il
DEATH
"The weak voice failed and the bart
feet bolted. Now was my time-if til,
poor devil had tainted. But could no
be sure, and there | crouched down
below in the dark at the half shut iroI
door, not less spellbound than impris
oned. 1t was just as well. for Ewbanl
-.