The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-19

tances in fabulous time, lurking none
knew where, and springing on the un-
wary in the last places in which his
presence was suspected.
"But he has not yet robbed bank,
and we have our hopes,' wrote Fergus
to faithful sister at Largs. "It may
be for fear Of the revolvers with which
all the banks are provided now. Mr..
Macbean has been practicing with ours,
and purposely put bullet thru one Of
our back windows. The whole town.
ship has been chafng him about it,
and the local rag has risen to a sar-
castle paragraph, which is exactly what
we wanted. The trap door over the pit
is now practically finished. It's too
complicated to describe, but Stingaree
has only to march into the bank and
stick it up and the man behind tho
counter has only to touch lever with
his foot for the villain to disappear
thru the floor into a prison it I'll take
him all his time to break. On Saturday
the cashier and the clerk are coming
are to be shown everything.'
This was but a fraction of one Of the
long letters which Fergus despatched
by nearly every mail. Silent and self
contained as he was, he had one con-
fdante at the opposite end of the earth,
one escape-pipe in his pen. Not a
word Of the great secret had he even
written to another soul. To his trusted
sister he had never before been quite
so communicative. His conscience
pricked him as he took his letter to
the post, and he had it registered on
no other score. - r..
On Saturday the bank closed at one
o'clock; the staff were to return and
dine at seven, the queen g birthday fall
ing on the same day for a sufficient
pretext. AS the hour approached
Fergus made the distressing discovery
that his friend and host had anticipated
the festivities with too free a hand.
Macbean was not drunk, but he was
perceptibly blunted and blurred, and
Fergus had never seen the pale eyes SO
watery or the black skull-cap SO much
on one side of the venerable head. The
lad was genuinely grieved. A whisky
bottle stood empty on the laden board,
and he had the temerity to pocket the
corkscrew while Macbean was gone to
his storeroom for another bottle. A
solemn search ensued, and then Fergus
was despatched in haste for q new
corkscrew.
can look slippy," said .Macbean
cor we'll have old Donkin here before
ye get back
"Not for another three-quarters OF
an hour,'' remarked Fergus, looking al
his watch.
"Any minutel'' retorted Macbean
with a ribald epithet. II invited Don
kin, in confidence, to come a good half
; hour airly, and I'll tell ye for why
Donkin must ken, but I'm none SO sure
o. yon other impident young squirt
, His tongues too long for his mouth
, Donkin or T could always be behind thu
, counter; anyway, [ mean to take hi
, opinion before tellin' any other body
, Entertaining his own distrust OF tn
, vivacious Fowler, Fergus commended
the decision, and so took his departure
| by the private entrance. It was nea
sundown; fresh breeze blew along tn
| hard road, putting cloudlets Of yellow
sand into the rosy dusk. Fergus hur
, ried till he was out Of sight, and the1
. idled shamelessly under trees. He wa
r not going on for a new, corkscrew. 81
> was going back 10 confess boldly wher
he. had found the old one. And tn
sight Of Donkin IN the, distance sen
3 him back in something Of a hurry; j
was quite enough to have to spend a
+ evening with the cantankerous cashier
t The bank was practically at one en-
9 Of the township as then laid out; two Q
. three buildings there were further OF