Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-06-14
ENNU!N EV DVtW
u PULLED UP AND LAY WITH MY EAR TO THE GROUND"

81 PULLED UP AND LAY W.T.
distruSted the poor mare, and l 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 I had been cute
enough to make immense friends with
him during the evening, and he
wagged his tail. not only when I came
downstairs. but when reappeared at
the back door.
GAS the soi-disant new manager l
had been able, in the most ordinary
course. to pump poor Ewbank about
anything and everything connected
with the working of the bank. especial
ly in those twenty last invaluable min
uteS before turning in, and I had made
a very natural point of asking him
where he kept and would recommend
me to keep the keys at night. OF
course l thought he would take them
with him to his room, but no such
thing-he had a dodge worth two of
that. What it Was doesn't much mat
ter, but nc outsider would have found
those keys in a month of Sundays.
II of course had them in 4 few sec
onds, and in q few more l was in the
strong room itself. l forgot to say that
the moon had risen and was letting
quite a lot of light into the bank. l
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, l had no hest
tation in lighting it. There was no
window down there, and, though l
could no longer hear old Ewbank snor-
ing, l 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 kcyhole on
the inside.
"Well, there were heaps Of gold i'll
the safe, but | only took what l need
ed and could comfortably carry, not
much more than a couple Of hundred
altogether. Not a note would l touch.
and my native caution came ont also
in the way I divided the sovr. .@ns
between al! my pockets ami l,."...
them up so that l shouldn't be like
the old woman of BanDury Cross. Wei.
you think me too cautious 81 bat !
was i%nsanely cautious then. And 50
it was that, just as was ready to g,
whereas I might have been gone lv:.
minutes, there came a violent kuo,I
ing at the outer door.
Bunny, it was the outer door of the
banking chamber. My cauu!e must
have been seen. And there l stood.
with the grease running hot over MY
myers, IN that grave of a strong rom
There was only one thing to be done.
I 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 ic"v-
ing Melbourne and make Il Ia Il for
that clump Of trees and the doctors
mare. My mind was made up in az
instant, and l was at the top Of tAr
strong room stairs, the knocking s;:.,..
continuing, when a sccoud sound lro""
me back. 1t was the sound Of bar.
feet coming along a corridor.
My narrow stair vas stone. turn
bled down it with little noise and had
only to push open the iron door. Fl. /
had left the keys in the safe. As /
did so l heard a handle tu..u OK
head and thanked my gods that | shu.
every single door behind me. You soc.
old chap, ones caution doesn't always
let one in.
"'Who's that ~knockiDg?' said Ew,
bank up above.
Il could not make out ule answer.
but it sounded to me like The irrclc.
want supplication Of Il spent man.
What l did hear plainly was the cock.
Ing Of the bank revolver before the
bolts were shot back, then a to,,nY
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 Ike
a pig"
"'Not now came with Il grateful.
sort Of sigh.
"'Hut you have been! What's done
IT.
"Bushrangcrs.'
"'IJOWn the roadT'
"'TAls ana Whittlesca tied TO n
tree shots left me bleed TO
death
"Ihe weak voice failed and Ia" bare