The Safe Breakers' Gang — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

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He felt no alarm; but he was intensely curious to dis- cover the real purpose of this strange young woman. “ What in the world does she mean?” he asked himself, “ Does she think a common lock will shut up the sand- wich of the three H’s? Or was she afraid that I might take a notion to explore the premises while she was out of the room? Thisis a queer go, and I’ll be blessed if I'm not more at aloss what todo than I would be if I were shut in here by the invincible Jules Jepworth him- self! Ah !—what now 2?” He was silenced by the sound of voices, coming, apparently, from the other side of the partition. The detective listened intently, for the voices sounded so distinct that there seemed to be a promise of distin- guishing what was said. The speakers were aman and a woman, and the latter he knew must be Lena. “He is here to ruin me!” exclaimed the mun, in a rasp- ing voice, whose very fierceness seemed to have a mag- netic quality in it. “But he does not know you are here now—as, indeed, I did not until this moment. I can send him away without his suspicions being further excited. He cannot be de- tained ; and if he goes, it must be with as few suspicions as we can leave with him. Please, Jules !—please Jet me manage it all, for if will be so much better for us both !” The voice of Lena was low and pleading. And she called her companion Jules! “Fnough has been said!” snarled the man. “If you were to manage my affairs for me you would make friends with all the detectives in New York! I tell you, there isa conspiracy abroad to ruin me! That smooth-spoken man is at the bottom of it! Goto your room, Lena, and lock yourself in. When I am ready for you to come out I will speak to you! Do you hear me? Go” There was amoan of anguish from the girl that sent an indignant thrill through the heart of the listener. But the latter had no time to sympathize with Lena then. He drewa revolver and calmly awaited the out- come. CHAPTER VII. A STRANGE COMPACT. A fierce, half-horrified snarl broke from the lips of Jules Jepworth, the safe-breaker, as he heard the door of the bank vault close upon him. He turned and flung his weight against the ponderous door, but to no purpose. It was closed and locked ! For a moment he stood motionless, trying to collect his thoughts for an effort at self-preservation. Who had shut the vault door? This was the prime question, and the one upon which his chances of final escape hung. Had he been seen by the person who came along and peered inat the clock? And had that individual sum- moned a policeman ? It seemed incredible that any one could have gained an - entrance to the banking-room while he was there without . 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But he could hear no sound save the strong pulsations of his own heart. “What, in the name of all the fiegds, does it mean?” he exclaimed, half aloud. The sepulchral sound of his own voice reminded him of a present danger that menaced his very life—a danger that was greater within than the worst that might be encountered without. The vault was of moderate size; it was probably nearly, if not quite, air-tight; therefore it were but a matter of time when he must succumb to suffocation unless he should gain some means of ventilation in season. At the moment when he stepped into the vault he had his bag of tools with him They were at hand now. And with a promptness which was characteristic of every- thing this remarkable man undertook, he set himself to work. The delicate instrument by means of which he had opened the door from the outside would be of no use to him now—at least, not yet. In a moment he was at work with a small but powerful drii] which was a machine of hisown manufacture and invention. It worked so silently that one must have stood close to the door of the vault to have heard a sound from it. He was drilling directly into the mechanism ot the lock, with every part of which he was as thoroughly familiar as a watch: maker is with that of a watch. So swiftly did the drill work that ina few moments he had accomplished with it all that was required. If the door had been closed by one wishing to shut him in, the knob on the outside would have been turned go that he would have to get at that before he could escupe. Otherwise, if the door merely swung to under the impetus of a strong draught of air, or by its own weight upon hinges that time had unsettled in their bearings, he would now be able to open the door without delay. Here was further cause for him to hesitate. If some one was on the watch outside, to open the vault door meant capture or death. ‘‘But I must take the risk !” he muttered. With the tiny instrument with which he had first opened the door he now set to work, inserting it in the hole which he had drilled. Click !—he pushed upon the door—it swung back—he was free! He bounded out, revolver in hand. But the room was silent and deserted. He made a thorough search of the room; but there was no sign of human presence. But as he stumbled against a huge waste-basket, something scurried forth from behind it and leaped upon the cashier’s desk. It was a huge, black cat, and there the animal arched her back and glared at him with her yellow eyes in a manner that gave him a thrill of indescribable horror. “That is the beast that guards the bank at night better » > ot ‘ — as 2) * - a ~ it iow San 7 Pe, ta < to a) a * + ed - Re eA ? wee co We ie . 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