The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-02-06
CHAPTER IX-Continued

along the floor toward the closet. The
man lay stunned and still. Sir
George, as the bank manager turned.
Gated that he was to sit on the fallen
bandit and tie him up.
Still keeping himself below the
glass of the partition and away from
the doorway, Sir George picked up the
pistol and crawled on the desk nearest
the main office. Again thanking his
stars for his height he stood erect and
peered over the partition.
ParalyZed by the sudden appear
ance of three men without warning,
the clerks had been backed up against
the wall by one robber, while the
second thief, who also had a pistol,
was rapidly sweeping the money.
stacked near the tellers window, into
his pocket.
This man turned swiftly as though
he had eyes in the back of his head.
AS he turned he fired. The shot struck
the partition very little to one side,
as Sir George ducked and fired. His
bullet hit the mans pistol hand and
as the pistol dropped and the man
reached for it, Sir George winged him
again, this time in the leg. The third
man near the door swung his pistol
away from the clerks and clients he
was holding at bay, but Sir George
fired first. The fellow yelled and
dashed outside to waiting machine.
Sir George jumped down from the
desk, ran through the doorway into
the main bank and hurried toward the
doorway. But the men in the car had
started, and as he emerged, one Of them
fired. The bullet went through Sir
Georges coat sleeve.
The car started across the bridge,
racing dangerously, despite the shouts
of the few people on the street. From
the back of the car came a succession
of shots that discouraged pursuit.
Sir George hurried back into the
bank The manager and the assistants
were still dazed-hardly able to be-
lieve that what happened had hap
pened--despite the wounded men and
the blood on the floor.
He managed to caution the man.
ager: Not a work to the police or
anyone else about the payroll" before
q small crowd came in. Presently the
wounded men, still unconscious, were
in a heavily guarded motor, going to
the nearest hospital, while Sir George
was making his way up the river road
at top speed.
Once across the bridge, he whistled,
and as arranged. August, MacBeth's
chauffeur, came and took the car.
I'm not coming in yet, I'm going for
walk up the towpath. Tell Mr..
Macbeth that"
''Yes, Sir George" said August, and
gazed after him so intently that Sir
George had to check his inclination to
belt was bullying. What was wrong
with August? He could not possibly
guess his errand.
August, who had been instructed
early that morning by Macbeth that
he was to take the car at once, and
say and do nothing to delay Sir
George, was too awestruck to tell him
THAI d VIII VI adventure udu
pver the telephone. An excited neigh
Dor, who had been down at the drug
store and had seen the police arrive,
had called up to assure Lady Sandi-
son that her stepson was all right and
described the fight as reported in the
village. AS it lost nothing in the re-
porting and nothing from Aggy's in
fol Dnhnrt hoI
listened with some anxiety and Roberta
with open amusement.
think shame, Roberta" said her
aunt, Indignantly. "The lad might
have been killed"
"But he wasn't" Roberta reminded
her, land If you think l believe any
thing like that happened in this sleepy
place, you're mistaken. Somebody's
having you. There isn't the slightest
doubt of that, Aunt Aggy. Sounds like
one of Rogers romances, and We'll
have Beauty Sandison himself saun-
tering in to join in the laugh"
Her aunt glared at her. 1T passes
me, Roberta" she said, with a sudden
sweetness that made her brother OBJ
serve her carefully, why you go so
far out of your way to belittle the
lad. It's my private belief that you're
as fOnu of him-as the rest of the
lassies."
Roberta flushed, an ugly dull flush,
but she looked steadily at her aunt
mo auntie, you can take your long
legged laddie safely back to bonnie
Scotland as soon as you like for
all of me-"
Her father, who had-and IT was
unusual for him-let them have their
say without interruption, now came
back from some far-off place In his
mind and said, I'm sorry to say it's
very apt to be true. l gave the lad a
Job at the bank this morning. But no
one could guess this would happen.
By the Lord lavish l knew where the
leak wasl When l find out there will
be trouble"
Roberta stared at him. "Do you
mean to say. Father that you believe
all this impossible story about him
holding one robber by the feet, while
he shot the other from over the parti-
ton? And leaving them lying where
they fell, ran out and single-handed
stopped car full of desperadoes who
were shooting right and left?"
Her father turned a wary eye on
her. "Well, Roberta, l dare say that
there has been some little exaggera-
ton, but as he's very tall man, with
o very long reach. and better than all.