the amateur cracksman-第17章

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〃'Not　under　the　counter；〃　said　I。

〃'But　it's　the　regulation！'

〃For　the　moment；　Bunny；　I　felt　stumped；　though　I　trust　I　only　looked　more　superior　than　before；　and　I　think　I　justified　my　look。

〃'The　regulation！'　I　said　at　length；　in　the　most　offensive　tone　at　my　command。　　'Yes；　the　regulation　would　have　us　all　dead　men！　　My　dear　sir；　do　you　expect　your　bank　robber　to　let　you　reach　for　your　gun　in　the　place　where　he　knows　it's　kept？　　I　had　mine　in　my　pocket；　and　I　got　my　chance　by　retreating　from　the　counter　with　all　visible　reluctance。'

〃Ewbank　stared　at　me　with　open　eyes　and　a　five…barred　forehead；　then　down　came　his　fist　on　the　table。

〃'By　God！　　That　was　smart！　　Still；'　he　added；　like　a　man　who　would　not　be　in　the　wrong；　'the　papers　said　the　other　thing；　you　know！'

〃'Of　course；'　I　rejoined；　'because　they　said　what　I　told　them。　　You　wouldn't　have　had　me　advertise　the　fact　that　I　improved　upon　the　bank's　regulations；　would　you？'

〃So　that　cloud　rolled　over；　and　by　Jove　it　was　a　cloud　with　a　golden　lining。　　Not　silverreal　good　Australian　gold！　　For　old　Ewbank　hadn't　quite　appreciated　me　till　then；　he　was　a　hard　nut；　a　much　older　man　than　myself；　and　I　felt　pretty　sure　he　thought　me　young　for　the　place；　and　my　supposed　feat　a　fluke。　　But　I　never　saw　a　man　change　his　mind　more　openly。　　He　got　out　his　best　brandy；　he　made　me　throw　away　the　cigar　I　was　smoking；　and　opened　a　fresh　box。　　He　was　a　convivial…looking　party；　with　a　red　moustache；　and　a　very　humorous　face　（not　unlike　Tom　Emmett's）；　and　from　that　moment　I　laid　myself　out　to　attack　him　on　his　convivial　flank。　　But　he　wasn't　a　Rosenthall；　Bunny；　he　had　a　treble…seamed；　hand…sewn　head；　and　could　have　drunk　me　under　the　table　ten　times　over。

〃'All　right；'　I　thought；　'you　may　go　to　bed　sober；　but　you'll　sleep　like　a　timber…yard！'　　And　I　threw　half　he　gave　me　through　the　open　window；　when　he　wasn't　looking。

〃But　he　was　a　good　chap；　Ewbank；　and　don't　you　imagine　he　was　at　all　intemperate。　　Convivial　I　called　him；　and　I　only　wish　he　had　been　something　more。　　He　did；　however；　become　more　and　more　genial　as　the　evening　advanced；　and　I　had　not　much　difficulty　in　getting　him　to　show　me　round　the　bank　at　what　was　really　an　unearthly　hour　for　such　a　proceeding。　　It　was　when　he　went　to　fetch　the　revolver　before　turning　in。　　I　kept　him　out　of　his　bed　another　twenty　minutes；　and　I　knew　every　inch　of　the　business　premises　before　I　shook　hands　with　Ewbank　in　my　room。

〃You　won't　guess　what　I　did　with　myself　for　the　next　hour。　　I　undressed　and　went　to　bed。　　The　incessant　strain　involved　in　even　the　most　deliberate　impersonation　is　the　most　wearing　thing　I　know；　then　how　much　more　so　when　the　impersonation　is　impromptu！　　There's　no　getting　your　eye　in；　the　next　word　may　bowl　you　out；　it's　batting　in　a　bad　light　all　through。　　I　haven't　told　you　of　half　the　tight　places　I　was　in　during　a　conversation　that　ran　into　hours　and　became　dangerously　intimate　towards　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　I　was　in　luck；　for　I　had　not　been　lying　there　long　before　I　heard　my　dear　Ewbank　snoring　like　a　harmonium；　and　the　music　never　ceased　for　a　moment；　it　was　as　loud　as　ever　when　I　crept　out　and　closed　my　door　behind　me；　as　regular　as　ever　when　I　stopped　to　listen　at　his。　　And　I　have　still　to　hear　the　concert　that　I　shall　enjoy　much　more。　　The　good　fellow　snored　me　out　of　the　bank；　and　was　still　snoring　when　I　again　stood　and　listened　under　his　open　window。

〃Why　did　I　leave　the　bank　first？　　To　catch　and　saddle　the　mare　and　tether　her　in　a　clump　of　trees　close　by：　to　have　the　means　of　escape　nice　and　handy　before　I　went　to　work。　　I　have　often　wondered　at　the　instinctive　wisdom　of　the　precaution；　unconsciously　I　was　acting　on　what　has　been　one　of　my　guiding　principles　ever　since。　　Pains　and　patience　were　required：　I　had　to　get　my　saddle　without　waking　the　man；　and　I　was　not　used　to　catching　horses　in　a　horse…paddock。　　Then　I　distrusted　the　poor　mare；　and　I　went　back　to　the　stables　for　a　hatful　of　oats；　which　I　left　with　her　in　the　clump；　hat　and　all。　　There　was　a　dog；　too；　to　reckon　with　（our　very　worst　enemy；　Bunny）；　but　I　had　been　'cute　enough　to　make　immense　friends　with　him　during　the　evening；　and　he　wagged　his　tail；　not　only　when　I　came　downstairs；　but　when　I　reappeared　at　the　back…door。

〃As　the　soi…disant　new　manager；　I　had　been　able；　in　the　most　ordinary　course；　to　pump　poor　Ewbank　about　anything　and　everything　connected　with　the　working　of　the　bank；　especially　in　those　twenty　last　invaluable　minutes　before　turning　in。　　And　I　had　made　a　very　natural　point　of　asking　him　where　he　kept；　and　would　recommend　me　to　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　matter；　but　no　outsider　would　have　found　those　keys　in　a　month　of　Sundays。

〃I；　of　course；　had　them　in　a　few　seconds；　and　in　a　few　more　I　was　in　the　strong…room　itself。　　I　forgot　to　say　that　the　moon　had　risen　and　was　letting　quite　a　lot　of　light　into　the　bank。　　I　had；　however；　brought　a　bit　of　candle　with　me　from　my　room；　and　in　the　strong…room；　which　was　down　some　narrow　stairs　behind　the　counter　in　the　banking…chamber；　I　had　no　hesitation　in　lighting　it。　　There　was　no　window　down　there；　and；　though　I　could　no　longer　hear　old　Ewbank　snoring；　I　had　not　the　slightest　reason　to　anticipate　disturbance　from　that　quarter。　　I　did　think　of　locking　myself　in　while　I　was　at　work；　but；　thank　goodness；　the　iron　door　had　no　keyhole　on　the　inside。

〃Well；　there　were　heaps　of　gold　in　the　safe；　but　I　only　took　what　I　needed　and　could　comfortably　carry；　not　much　more　than　a　couple　of　hundred　altogether。　　Not　a　note　would　I　touch；　and　my　native　caution　came　out　also　in　the　way　I　divided　the　sovereigns　between　all　my　pockets；　and　packed　them　up　so　that　I　shouldn't　be　like　the　old　woman　of　Banbury　Cross。　　Well；　you　think　me　too　cautious　still；　but　I　was　insanely　cautious　then。　　And　so　it　was　that；　just　as　I　was　ready　to　go；　whereas　I　might　have　been　gone　ten　minutes；　there　came　a　violent　knocking　at　the　outer　door。

〃Bunny；　it　was　the　outer　door　of　the　banking…chamber！　　My　candle　must　have　been　seen！　　And　there　I　stood；　with　the　grease　running　hot　over　my　fingers；　in　that　brick　grave　of　a　strong…room！

〃There　was　only　one　thing　to　be　done。　　I　must　trust　to　the　sound　sleeping　of　Ewbank　upstairs；　open　the　door　myself；　knock　the　visitor　down；　or　shoot　him　with　the　revolver　I　had　been　new　chum　enough　to　buy　before　leaving　Melbourne；　and　make　a　dash　for　that　clump　of　trees　and　the　doctor's　mare。　　My　mind　was　made　up　in　an　instant；　and　I　was　at　the　top　of　the　strong…room　stairs；　the　knocking　still　continuing；　when　a　second　sound　drove　me　back。　　It　was　the　sound　of　bare　feet　coming　along　a　corridor。

〃My　narrow　stair　was　stone；　I　tumbled　down　it　with　little　noise；　and　had　only　to　push　open　the　iron　door；　for　I　had　left　the　keys　in　the　safe。　　As　I　did　so　I　heard　a　handle　turn　overhead；　and　thanked　my　gods　that　I　had　shut　every　single　door　behind　me。　　You　see；　old　chap；　one's　caution　doesn't　always　let　one　in！

〃'Who's　that　knocking？'　said　Ewbank　up　above。

〃I　could　not　make　out　the　answer；　but　it　sounded　to　me　like　the　irrelevant　supplication　of　a　spent　man。　　What　I　did　hear；　plainly；　was　the　cocking　of　the　bank　revolver　before　the　bolts　were　shot　back。　　Then；　a　tottering　step；　a　hard；　short；　shallow　breathing；　and　Ewbank's　voice　in　horror

〃'My　God！　　Good　Lord！　　What's　happened　to　you？　　You're　bleeding　like　a　pig！'

〃'Not　now；'　came　with　a　grateful　sort　of　sigh。

〃'But　you　have　been！　　What's　done　it？'

〃'Bushrangers。'

〃'Down　the　road？'

〃'This　and　Whittleseatied　to　treecock　shotsleft　mebleed　to　death　。　。　。'

The　weak　voice　failed；　and　the　bare　feet　bolted。　　Now　was　my　timeif　the　poor　devil　had　fainted。　　But　I　could　not　be　sure；　and　there　I　crouched　down　below　in　the　dark；　at　the　half…shut　iron　door；　not　less　spellbound　than　imprisoned。　　It　was　just　as　well；　for　Ewbank　wasn't　gone　a　minute。

〃'Drink　this；'　I　heard　him　say；　and；　when　the　other　spoke　again；　his　voice　was　stronger。

〃'Now