Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-06-14
- = 3 Rallies, g.
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9N1N12 CraCkSfnan
= EWW4WW ~ By E. w. HoRNUNG
By E. w. HORNUNG

b<t21N lo'1Ni >iS "a - SN'iA, NtNh " "a
large.
But. now that 1 had had more than
enough of it. Ewhank would come
back to the subject. He admitted that
the staff was small. but as for himself
he had Il loaded revolver under his pill
low all night. under the counter all
day, and he was only waiting for his
chance.
"'Under the counter. eh:' Was ass
enough TO say.
"'YeS: So had YOU"
He was looking at me in surprise.
and something told me that to say OF
course; l had forgotten. would have
been quite fatal. considering what /
was supposed to have done, so looked
down my nose and shook my head.
"'But the papers said you had, he
cried.
"'Not under the counter said l..
"'But it's the regulation"
For the moment. Bunny, l felt
stumped, though trust l only looked
more superior than beforehand think
I justified my look.
1dS lSSuldllOu. l Sald ol ISllSilI.
in the most offensive tone at my COM
mand. Yes, the regulation would have
US all dead men. My dear sir. do you
expect your bank robber to let you
reach for your gun in the place where
he knows it's kept? had mine in my
pocket, and I got my chance by re-
treating from the counter With all Wis
IDLE reluctance
"Ewbank stared at me with open
eyes and q five barred forehead. then
down came his fist on the table.
81 say, that was smart. STILL he
added, like a man who would not be
in the wrong. the papers said the 9th
er thing, you know
"'Of course l rejoined. because
they said what l told them. You
wouldn't have had me advertise the
fact that l improved upon the banks
regulations, would you"
S that cloud rolled over, and. by
Jove, it was a cloud with a golden
lining-not silver: real good Austria
liam gold, for old Ewbank hadn't
quite appreciated me till then. He
was a hard nut, a much older man
than myself. and I felt pretty sure he
thought me young for the place and
my supposed feat a luke. But
eve saw q man change his mind
more openly. He got out his best
brandy; he made me throw away the
cigar l was smoking and opened a
fresh box. He was a %convivial looking
party, with a red mustache and a very
humorous face-not unlike Tom EN-.
m~ett's-and from that moment l laid
myself out to attack him on his con.
vivial flank. But he wasn't a Rosen.
thall, Bunny. He had a treble scanned,
hand sewed head and could have drunk
me under the table ten times over.
".All right 1 thought, you may &C
to bed sober, but you'll sleep like a
timber yard And l threw half be
gave me through the open window
when he wasn't looking.
"But he was a good chap, Ewbank
and don't you imagine he was at al
i~ntennerat". Convivial l called him,
and | only wish he had been some.
thing more lie did. however, become
more and more genial as the evening
advanced. and | had not much diff.
Guilty in getting him to show me round
the bank at what was really an un.
earthly ho:r 70" such a proceeding
1t was Wnrn ne went to fetch the re
volvc" b@.orc turning in. l kept hin
out Of his bed another twenty minutes
and knew every inch Of the business
premises before | shook hands with
EwDank in my room.
you wont guess what | did with
myself for the next hour. I undressed
and went to bed. The incessant strait
involved in wen the most deliberate
impersonation is the most wearing
thing | know. Then how much more
so when the impersonation is i'm
promDtu. There's no getting your eye
in. The next word may bowl you out
It's batting i'll a bad light all through
I haven't told you Of half the tigh'
places l was in during a conversatio,
that ran into hours and became dan
gerously intimate toward the end. Yor
car imagine them for yourself, an(
then picture me spread out on my bed
getting my second wind for the hi,
deed Of the night.
"Once more / was in luck, for l haG
. not been lying there long before
heard my dear Ewbank snoring like g
harmonium. and the music never
ceased for a moment. 1t was as lou(
as ever when l crept out and CLOSED
my door behind me, as regular as
ever when I stopped to listen at his
And l have still to hear the concer
r that l shall enjoy more. The goo(
fellow snored me out Of the bank ant
, was still snoring when | again stood
and listened under his open window.
"Why did leave the bank first? re
catch and saddle the mare ana tcthel
her IN Il clump Of trees close by-tt
i, have the means Of escape nice an(
handy before went to work. ! have
often wondered at the instructive wis
don Of the prccaution. Unconscious
ly ] was acting o. what has been ont
Of my guiding principles ever since
Pains and patience were required.