Part 16 (1/2)
”All right. Come ahead,” commanded the short man, impatiently.
Then very deliberately, with a pause after each word, seemingly to enable Jones to interpret, but really to give himself time to send another word, unheard, beneath the table, Alex sent on the key, and Jones read aloud, the following message:
”Sheriff,
”Watson Siding:
”Safe-blowers have been captured near here. Call in your posse.
”(Signed) O'Brien,
”Sheriff Quigg County.”
What the at first puzzled and then thunderstruck operator at Watson Siding read off his instrument ran very differently. It read:
”Safe THEY blowers ARE have HERE been IN captured STATION near INTEND here. GOING call OUT in BY your NIGHT posse. EXPRESS.
”(Signed) 'PHONE O'Brien, ”BACK Sheriff HERE Quigg QUICK County.”
A moment after giving his ”OK” the Watson Siding operator was at the telephone calling for Bixton central.
Meantime, having thus sent the message to WS to the bank-breakers'
satisfaction, Alex proceeded to call and send it by turns to Zeisler, Hammerton, and other stations on the line. Sending slowly, to make the most of his time, it was within fifteen minutes of the hour the express was due when Alex had sent the last of the messages.
”Now you can step in and see your friend,” said the man in the doorway, addressing Jones, who appeared, white and trembling, and coming behind the counter, dropped into a chair facing Alex. The speaker then once more disappeared, and presently an opening click of the instruments told the nature of his errand. The wires had been cut.
He soon returned, and rummaging about, while the taller man stood guard over them, he found some ropes, and proceeded to bind Alex and the day operator tightly in their chairs.
Just as the task was completed there came a long-drawn whistle from the west. Both robbers promptly turned to the door. ”Well, good night, gentlemen,” said the smaller, grimly. ”Much obliged for your kind services.”
”And I would just pause to repeat,” said the taller, jocosely, ”that there is some cla.s.s to this getaway scheme, should any one ask you. Good night.”
”_Yes, there is cla.s.s--but it isn't first!_”
Uttering a cry the two bank robbers staggered back from the door, and with a bound the deputy sheriff and a constable were upon them, bore them to the floor, and after a brief but terrific struggle disarmed and handcuffed them.
”Yes,” said the sheriff, rising, and with his knife quickly freeing the two prisoners, ”there was cla.s.s to it, but it was _second_.
”Our young friend here takes '_first_.'”
[Ill.u.s.tration: ”HOW DID YOU DO IT, SMARTY?” SNAPPED THE SHORTER MAN.]
The robbers turned upon Alex with furiously flas.h.i.+ng eyes. ”How did you do it, smarty?” snapped the shorter man.
Alex laughed, kicked one foot beneath the table, and the instrument responded with a click. ”A little First of April trick. What do you think of it?”
Whatever the two renegades might have said through their gritting teeth, there was no doubt as to what the sheriff and the others thought. Nor the bank officials at Zeisler, when, a day later, there came to Alex a highly commendatory letter and a check for two hundred dollars.