第93章

BILLY CRACKS A SAFE

BILLY BYRNE, captain, rode into Cuivaca from the south.He had made a wide detour in order to accomplish this; but under the circumstances he had thought it wise to do so.In his pocket was a safe conduct from one of Villa's generals farther south--a safe conduct taken by Pesita from the body of one of his recent victims.It would explain Billy's presence in Cuivaca since it had been intended to carry its rightful possessor to Juarez and across the border into the United States.

He found the military establishment at Cuivaca small and ill commanded.There were soldiers upon the streets; but the only regularly detailed guard was stationed in front of the bank.No one questioned Billy.He did not have to show his safe conduct.

"This looks easy," thought Billy."A reg'lar skinch."He first attended to his horse, turning him into a public corral, and then sauntered up the street to the bank, which he entered, still unquestioned.Inside he changed a bill of large denomination which Pesita had given him for the purpose of an excuse to examine the lay of the bank from the inside.Billy took a long time to count the change.All the time his eyes wandered about the interior while he made mental notes of such salient features as might prove of moment to him later.

The money counted Billy slowly rolled a cigarette.

He saw that the bank was roughly divided into two sections by a wire and wood partition.On one side were the customers, on the other the clerks and a teller.The latter sat behind a small wicket through which he received deposits and cashed checks.Back of him, against the wall, stood a large safe of American manufacture.Billy had had business before with similar safes.A doorway in the rear wall led into the yard behind the building.It was closed by a heavy door covered with sheet iron and fastened by several bolts and a thick, strong bar.There were no windows in the rear wall.From that side the bank appeared almost impregnable to silent assault.

Inside everything was primitive and Billy found himself wondering how a week passed without seeing a bank robbery in the town.Possibly the strong rear defenses and the armed guard in front accounted for it.

Satisfied with what he had learned he passed out onto the sidewalk and crossed the street to a saloon.Some soldiers and citizens were drinking at little tables in front of the bar.Acouple of card games were in progress, and through the open rear doorway Billy saw a little gathering encircling a cock fight.

In none of these things was Billy interested.What he had wished in entering the saloon was merely an excuse to place himself upon the opposite side of the street from the bank that he might inspect the front from the outside without arousing suspicion.

Having purchased and drunk a bottle of poor beer, the temperature of which had probably never been below eighty since it left the bottling department of the Texas brewery which inflicted it upon the ignorant, he sauntered to the front window and looked out.

There he saw that the bank building was a two-story affair, the entrance to the second story being at the left side of the first floor, opening directly onto the sidewalk in full view of the sentry who paced to and fro before the structure.

Billy wondered what the second floor was utilized for.He saw soiled hangings at the windows which aroused a hope and a sudden inspiration.There was a sign above the entrance to the second floor; but Billy's knowledge of the language had not progressed sufficiently to permit him to translate it, although he had his suspicions as to its meaning.He would learn if his guess was correct.

Returning to the bar he ordered another bottle of beer, and as he drank it he practiced upon the bartender some of his recently acquired Spanish and learned, though not without considerable difficulty, that he might find lodgings for the night upon the second floor of the bank building.

Much elated, Billy left the saloon and walked along the street until he came to the one general store of the town.After another heart rending scrimmage with the language of Ferdinand and Isabella he succeeded in making several purchases--two heavy sacks, a brace, two bits, and a keyhole saw.Placing the tools in one of the sacks he wrapped the whole in the second sack and made his way back to the bank building.

Upon the second floor he found the proprietor of the rooming-house and engaged a room in the rear of the building, overlooking the yard.The layout was eminently satisfactory to Captain Byrne and it was with a feeling of great self-satisfaction that he descended and sought a restaurant.

He had been sent by Pesita merely to look over the ground and the defenses of the town, that the outlaw might later ride in with his entire force and loot the bank; but Billy Byrne, out of his past experience in such matters, had evolved a much simpler plan for separating the enemy from his wealth.

Having eaten, Billy returned to his room.It was now dark and the bank closed and unlighted showed that all had left it.Only the sentry paced up and down the sidewalk in front.

Going at once to his room Billy withdrew his tools from their hiding place beneath the mattress, and a moment later was busily engaged in boring holes through the floor at the foot of his bed.For an hour he worked, cautiously and quietly, until he had a rough circle of holes enclosing a space about two feet in diameter.Then he laid aside the brace and bit, and took the keyhole saw, with which he patiently sawed through the wood between contiguous holes, until, the circle completed, he lifted out a section of the floor leaving an aperture large enough to permit him to squeeze his body through when the time arrived for him to pass into the bank beneath.

While Billy had worked three men had ridden into Cuivaca.

They were Tony, Benito, and the new bookkeeper of El Orobo Rancho.The Mexicans, after eating, repaired at once to the joys of the cantina; while Bridge sought a room in the building to which his escort directed him.