The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-07-26

Ort of the business ofices. out OF
i've hundred homes, warned by the uni
yersaI panic, men and women rushed
for the hillside. Some carried babies,
some bundles which they discarded.
There was but one thought-fight-
in Budd's Crossing that afternoon. In
four minutes from the moment OF the
| first alarm the town was deserted and
the hiIlsides were black with people.
trying desperately to reach an eleva-
ton safe above the menace OF the
flood before it burst upon them.
Il would sweep Budd's Crossing
away like matchwood. and rush on,
hundred feet high, sullen, furious
torrent, confined by the mountain
walls, to wreak havoc, upon the VII
lagos lower down.
The telephone exchange was desert
ed by the terrified girls. Only one
remained. Whitehead, but calm. Net
Ia sat at her post. watching the men
ace on the hills above her. She tele-
phoned necessarily.
Red Mills The dam has burst.
Run for your lives. Dorchester! The
dam has burst. The food will be on
you In fifteen minutes. Paintsbury!
Durham. Exeter! Labury! The dam
has burst"
She called the last settlement in the
valley, and then ran from the ex-
change. casting apprehensive glances
upward. The dam had still held. The
town was empty.
Only in front of the bank two horses
tethered. AS she ran past Meta cast
an apprehensive glance in through the
open door. What she saw nerved
her to realization Of what had hap
pened.
Through the open door, and through
the plate glass of the cashiers cage,
she saw Harry, bound and trussed,
seated helplessIy, while an armed man
stood over him and another worked
busily amid the debris of what had
been the banks safe. Upon the coun-
ter Of the cashiers cage lay Harrys
revolver, which he had drawn too late.
Immediately Meta sized up the situa-
ton. The report was fake, launched
by the robbers in the bold design of
emptying the town. It had succeeded
admirably, and, with nobody on hand
but Harry, they were safe to work
their will.
The backs Of the three were toward
her and they did not see Meta creep
like mouse inside the bank. eau.
tiously she stole onward, no sound Of
her footsteps echoing on the boards.
Say, Bill, we chose the day all
right" said the man at the safe to his
companion, without looking around.
There's tons of the stuff in here"
Hurry up, Ned" answered the 9TH
er. We've got to get home before
IL gets dark"
Meta stole onward. Now, crouching
under the wall of the cage, she was in
visible If any of the bandits should
look round. She saw Harry, bound,
watching the men out of his half-closed
eyes. The look in them told her that
he had been surprised; there was no
trace Of fear there, and Meta was
glad.
Softly her hand crept up and touched
the revolver. Her fingers closed upon
It.
Hands upi"
With an oath the man at the safe |
sprang, to his feet, to look into Metals |
eyes and throw up his hands obedient. |
ly. At the same time the man guard |
ing Harry swung round, with his re-
volver raised.
Drop IT,"
He dropped 1t, and saved eternity by |
a single second.
'Unfasten him!"
Say, now" protested one OF the
men.
81 count two. One"
Hurriedly Harry was unbound. |
STOPPING, he seized the revolver of his !,
former guard
March them to Jail, Harry. M
Ill stay here. think-I think"
said Meta, and fell weakly across the
counter.
That is the story Of the holdup of
Budd's Crossing. When the townspeo-
pie crept back, by twos and threes and
driblets two hours later, they found
Harry Fisher guarding two prisoners
in the sergeant's office, and Meta at
his side And from the look on their
faces it was clear that the old mis-.
understanding had been forgotten.
In witness thereof, the massive chest
of silver donated by the bank, and the
five hundred dollars from the tele.
phone company.