The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 3 — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

512 THE BUNKEL MYSTERY. Poddy was silent fora moment ; and possibly he would have consented to adopt the plan if he had not had other business on his hands. ‘‘T won’t trust you !’’ he exclaimed, at last. ‘‘ In this business we don’t trust any one.’’ The robber had made up his mind, and he did not allow Dolph to argue the point any further, for he took him by the collar and led him down the stairs, repeating his warning as he did so. Dolph was disappointed, for when he had recovered his self possession, and with it his evil intentions, he began to hope he might yet become the owner of the Lily. Poddy meant business, and it was useless to attempt any resistance. The man held him by the collar, for he did not wish to fire the revolver in the deserted street, lest the report should people it with awakened citizens. Tom Sawder held his tongue, and appeared to be nothing but a super- numerary in the operations of the night, for if he attempted to speak he was promptly silenced by his companion. Dolph noted the route taken by his conductor, but he was afraid to open his mouth even to utter a whisper. He divined the destination of the robbers, and was confirmed in his belief when they halted at the Onongo Bank. Like the Montoban, the bank was in the second story, with the entrance at the side of a store. Poddy placed his prisoner at the side of this door, and took a lot of brass keys from his pocket. When he took hold of the knob, in order to insert the key, which he had probably fitted beforehand, he found that the door was not locked. ‘Take hold of that cub, Tom; he may run away while we are busy,”’ said Poddy. ‘‘ This door is not locked ; what does it mean ?’’ But the principal did not wait for the question to be answered. He opened the door, and Tom led Dolph into the lower entry. ‘They tied him to the stair rail and went up. Poddy took off his shoes and led the way. As he entered the room he was surprised to see a light. CHAPTER XVIII.—A REMARKABLE DUPLICATE OPERATION. DoLPH was glad to be left alone, though his arms were tied behind him and he was fastened to the stair rail. He had made a liberal proposition to the chief burglar; but his coming to the Onongo Bank explained why he had declined it. Poddy was no small operator, and he was not satisfied with the funds of one institution. He did business by wholesale. Dolph was rather pleased than otherwise at the impartiality of the robbers in serving both banks alike. If they crippled one magnate, they extended the same treatment to the other. But he did not give much attention to this view of the situation, for he was moved by more personal and selfish con- siderations. He was a prisoner and he wanted to get out of the scrape. If he could not get the three thousand dollars he wanted, he did not care to have his father deprived of the use of his large deposit just as he had to build a new dam. He wished to get away just then more than he wished anything else in this world. | Eomichooksnco 3