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relieved the sentry. After that Billy heard the footfalls no longer, for the new

sentry was barefoot.

The boring finished, Billy drew a bit of wire from an inside pocket and inserted it

in the hole. Then, working the wire with accustomed fingers, he turned the

combination knob this way and that, feeling with the bit of wire until the

tumblers should all be in line.

This, too, was slow work; but it was infinitely less liable to attract attention than

any other method of safe cracking with which Billy was familiar.

It was long past midnight when Captain Byrne was rewarded with success--the

tumblers clicked into position, the handle of the safe door turned and the bolts

slipped back.

To swing open the door and transfer the contents of the safe to the two sacks was

the work of but a few minutes. As Billy rose and threw the heavy burden across a

shoulder he heard a challenge from without, and then a parley. Immediately after

the sound of footsteps ascending the stairway to the rooming-house came plainly

to his ears, and then he had slipped the last bolt upon the rear door and was out

in the yard beyond.

Now Bridge, sleeping the sleep of utter exhaustion that the boom of a cannon

might not have disturbed, did that inexplicable thing which every one of us has

done a hundred times in our lives. He awakened, with a start, out of a sound

sleep, though no disturbing noise had reached his ears.

Something impelled him to sit up in bed, and as he did so he could see through

the window beside him into the yard at the rear of the building. There in the

moonlight he saw a man throwing a sack across the horn of a saddle. He saw the

man mount, and he saw him wheel his horse around about and ride away toward

the north. There seemed to Bridge nothing unusual about the man's act, nor had

there been any indication either of stealth or haste to arouse the American's

suspicions. Bridge lay back again upon his pillows and sought to woo the

slumber which the sudden awakening seemed to have banished for the remainder

of the night.

And up the stairway to the second floor staggered Tony and Benito. Their money

was gone; but they had acquired something else which appeared much more

difficult to carry and not so easily gotten rid of.

Tony held the key to their room. It was the second room upon the right of the

hall. Tony remembered that very distinctly. He had impressed it upon his mind

228

The Mucker