The Washington herald., 1914-03-08


through the open window. when he
wasn't hooking.
He did. however. become more anc
more genial as the evening advanced. AND
! had not much difficulty in getting him
TO show me round the bank at what was
really an unearthly hour for such a pro-
ceeding. 1t was when he went TO fetch
the revolver before turning in ! KEEP,
him out OF his bed another twenty min
utes. and ] knew every inch OF the bust
ness premises before ! shook hands with
Ewoank In my room.
You won't guess what did with my
self for the next hour. I undressed and
went to bed. / haven't told you OF half
the tight places was in during a con-
versation that ran into nours and be-
came dangerously intimate toward the
end You can imagine them for yourself.
and then picture me spread out on my
bed. getting my second wind for the big
deed Of the night
Once more l was in luck. for / had
not been lying there long before heard
my dear Ewbank snoring like a bar
monium. and the music never ceased for
a moment; It was as loud as ever when
/ crept out and closed my door behind
me. as regular as ever when ! stopped to
listen at his And I have still TO hear
the concert that 1 shall enjoy much
more. The good fellow snored me out
OF the bank. and was still snoring when
] again stood and listened under his open
window.
why did leave the bank frst7 To
catch and saddle the mae and tether her
in a cIump OF trees close my: to have the
means OF escape nice and handy before
went TO work Pains and patience were
required: / had to get my saddle with
out waking the man. and ! was not used
10 catching horses in a horse paddock.
Then ] distrusted the poor mare. and i
went back TO the stables for a hatful of
cats, which 1 left with her in the clump.
hat and all
AS the soi-disant new manager. ] had
been able. IN the most ordinary course.
to pump poor Ewbank about anything
aid everything connecte with the work.
ing OF the bank. especially in those twen-
ty last invaluable minutes before turn
ing in And / had made a very natural
point OF asking him where he kept. and
would recommend me 10 keep. the keys
at night. OF course I 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 no outsider would have found
those keys IN a month of Sundays
Il. of course. had them in a few sec
onds. and IN a few more / was in the
strongroom itself forgot to say that
the moon had risen and was letting quite
a lot OF light into the bank i had. how
ever. brought a bit of candle with me
from my room: and in tho strou ugroom.
which was down some narrow stairs be-
hind the csTnter in the banking cham
Der. j had no hesitation in lighting II.
There was no window eown there. and.
though l could no 'onge- hear old Ew-
Jain hdu A4OI NAAS SA-SAbCSN TSd-
son to ANTICIPATE disturbance from that
quarter.
Well. there were heaps of gold In the
SAL, but ! only took what I needed and
could comfortably carry. rot much more
than a couple OF hundred altogether
Well. you think me too cautious still, but
was insanely cautious then. And so It
was that Just as ! was ready TO go. |
might have been gone ten
minutes there came a violent knocking |
It the outer door.
Bunny. It was the outer door OF the
banking chamber!
"-'her was only one thing TO be done
must trust to the sound sleeping of Ew-
,ank upstairs. open the door myself.
.ock the visitor down. or shoot him
With the revolve. l had been new chum
.nough to buy before leaving Melbourne.
Int make a da for th~t clump OF trees
md the doctors mare. Ny mind was
made up In an Instant and was at the
Cd of the strongroom stairs. the knock
g stin continuing. when a second
md drove me back II was the sound
4 bare feet coming along a corridor.
+ narrow stair was stone. tum-
lied down 1t with little roise. and had
u TO push open the iron door. for l
ad left the keys in IL safe AS | did
o / heard a handle turn overhead. and
banked my gods that l had shut every
door behind M
who's that knockingr called Ew-
INK up above.
"I could not make out the answer. but
sounded to me like the irrelevant sup
lication of a spent man. What | did
ear. plainly. was the cooking of the
ank revolver before tn bolts were shot
ack. Then. tottering step. a hard.
hort, shallow breathing. and Ewbank's
oice In horror
My GodI Good LordI What's hap
ened to your You're bleeding like
lgr
e" Not now.' CINE with a grateful sort
I sigh.
e 'Bushrangera
/" Down the roadF
d" 'This and whittlesea-tied to tree
,ck shote-left me-bleed to death - I
The weak voice failed. and the bare {
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