Part 15 (1/2)

The first speaker threw down his pen. ”Well, I'm an idiot. That's so.”

He thought a moment, then, turning toward Alex, eyed him sharply an instant, and said: ”Youngster, I'll give you a dollar a word if you will give me your solemn promise to send this message just as I write it.”

A bare instant Alex hesitated, while the tempter whispered that it would mean thirty or forty dollars for a few minutes' work, and that everyone would take it for granted he had been compelled to send it. Then abruptly he leaned back in his chair and shook his head. ”I couldn't do it,” he said quietly but positively.

”Oh, you couldn't, eh, Goody-goody?” exclaimed the smaller man, with a snarl, catching up the revolver and pointing it at Alex's head. ”Now could you do it?”

The taller man caught his arm. ”Don't be a fool, Jake. After all, we couldn't be sure he wasn't fooling us even if he took the money.

”Look here, I have a scheme.”

They stepped back and spoke together in low tones for a moment; then the taller turned again to Alex, who meantime had remained quiet in his chair, futilely endeavoring to think of some means of spreading the alarm.

”I suppose you are not the only operator at this station, kid?”

”No; there is a day and a night operator. I am only 'subbing' for the night man,” responded Alex, wondering.

”Where is he?”

”At a party.”

”Where is the day man?”

”At his boarding-house. But you couldn't get either of them to do it,”

Alex declared confidently, thinking he had caught the drift of their purpose.

”Never mind what we could or what we couldn't. Where does the day operator board? Is it far?”

Momentarily Alex had a mind to refuse to tell; then, on the thought that suspicion might be aroused if one of the robbers went to rout the day man out, he replied, ”About a quarter of a mile,” and described how the house could be reached.

Again the two men held a whispered consultation, and at its conclusion the smaller man hurriedly left.

”Now I suppose you are wondering what we propose doing with the day operator,” said the tall man, with a grin, when they were alone. ”Well, it's so good I think I'll tell you. One of the cleverest getaway schemes you ever heard of, and my own idea. Can you guess?”

Alex shook his head. ”If it's not to send the message--and which I know he won't--I don't know.”

The robber laughed. ”You are going to send the message, and he is going to stand just outside the door here and tell us letter by letter just what you make the instruments say. See?”

Alex uttered an exclamation. And, strange as it may seem, it was not entirely of chagrin, for the striking originality and ingenuity of the plan immediately appealed to his own peculiar genius for getting over difficulties.

”And then,” continued the talkative safe-breaker, ”we will tie you both in your chairs, cut the wires, then flag the night express, and depart for the East like respectable citizens, and by the time you have been found and the wires restored we will be well out of danger.

”Now, I claim there is some cla.s.s to that scheme. What?”

Despite himself, Alex could not forbear a smile, even while he at once saw that to defeat the plan would be almost an impossibility.

Nevertheless, as the bank robber turned his attention to a time-table, Alex determinedly addressed his wits to the problem.

Presently, as he sat looking at the telegraph instruments for an inspiration, he started. That last First of April joke he had played on his father! The cut-off arrangement of wires was still in place beneath the instrument table! Could he not use it?

He determined to see whether the connections were still in order.