第93章

Our next chance came through father.He was the intelligence man, and had all the news sent to him -- roundabout it might be, but it always came, and was generally true; and the old man never troubled anybody twice that he couldn't believe in, great things or small.Well, word was passed about a branch bank at a place called Ballabri, where a goodish bit of gold was sent to wait the monthly escort.There was only the manager and one clerk there now, the other cove having gone away on sick leave.Towards the end of the month the bank gold was heaviest and the most notes in the safe.

The smartest way would be to go into the bank just before shutting-up time -- three o'clock, about -- and hand a cheque over the counter.

While the clerk was looking at it, out with a revolver and cover him.

The rest was easy enough.A couple more walked in after, and while one jumped over the counter and bailed up the manager the other shut the door.Nothing strange about that.

The door was always shut at three o'clock sharp.Nobody in town would drop to what might be going on inside till the whole thing was over, and the swag ready to be popped into a light trap and cleared off with.

That was the idea.We had plenty of time to think it over and settle it all, bit by bit, beforehand.

So one morning we started early and took the job in hand.Every little thing was looked through and talked over a week before.Father got Mr.White's buggy-horses ready and took Warrigal with him to a place where a man met him with a light four-wheeled Yankee trap and harness.

Dad was dressed up to look like a back-country squatter.Lots of 'em were quite as rough-looking as he was, though they drive as good horses as any gentleman in the land.Warrigal was togged out something like a groom, with a bit of the station-hand about him.Their saddles and bridles they kept with 'em in the trap; they didn't know when they might want them.

They had on their revolvers underneath their coats.We were to go round by another road and meet at the township.

Well, everything turned out first-rate.When we got to Ballabri there was father walking his horses up and down.They wanted cooling, my word.They'd come pretty smart all the way, but they were middlin' soft, being in great grass condition and not having done any work to speak of for a goodish while, and being a bit above themselves in a manner of speaking.

We couldn't help laughing to see how solemn and respectable dad looked.

`My word,' said Jim, `if he ain't the dead image of old Mr.Carter, of Brahway, where we shore three years back.Just such another hard-faced, cranky-looking old chap, ain't he, Dick? I'm that proud of him I'd do anything he asked me now, blest if I wouldn't!'

`Your father's a remarkable man,' says Starlight, quite serious;`must have made his way in life if he hadn't shown such a dislike to anything on the square.If he'd started a public-house and a pound about the time he turned his mind to cattle-duffing as one of the fine arts, he'd have had a bank account by this time that would have kept him as honest as a judge.But it's the old story.I say, where are the police quarters?

It's only manners to give them a call.'

We rode over to the barracks.They weren't much.A four-roomed cottage, a log lock-up with two cells, a four-stalled stable, and a horse-yard.

Ballabri was a small township with a few big stations, a good many farms about it, and rather more public-houses than any other sort of buildings in it.A writing chap said once, `A large well-filled graveyard, a small church mostly locked up, six public-houses, gave the principal features of Ballabri township.

The remaining ones appear to be sand, bones, and broken bottles, with a sprinkling of inebriates and blackfellows.' With all that there was a lot of business done there in a year by the stores and inns, particularly since the diggings.Whatever becomes of the money made in such places? Where does it all go to? Nobody troubles their heads about that.

A goodish lot of the first people was huddled away in the graveyard under the sand ridges.Many an old shepherd had hobbled into the Travellers' Rest with a big cheque for a fortnight's spree, and had stopped behind in the graveyard, too, for company.It was always a wonderful place for steadying lushingtons, was Ballabri.

Anyhow we rode over to the barracks because we knew the senior constable was away.We'd got up a sham horse-stealing case the day before, through some chaps there that we knew.This drawed him off about fifty mile.

The constable left behind was a youngish chap, and we intended to have a bit of fun with him.So we went up to the garden-gate and called out for the officer in charge of police quite grand.

`Here I am,' says he, coming out, buttoning up his uniform coat.

`Is anything the matter?'

`Oh! not much,' says I; `but there's a man sick at the Sportsman's Arms.

He's down with the typhus fever or something.He's a mate of ours, and we've come from Mr.Grant's station.He wants a doctor fetched.'

`Wait a minute till I get my revolver,' says he, buttoning up his waistcoat.

He was just fresh from the depot; plucky enough, but not up to half the ways of the bush.

`You'll do very well as you are,' says Starlight, bringing out his pretty sharp, and pointing it full at his head.`You stay there till I give you leave.'

He stood there quite stunned, while Jim and I jumped off and muzzled him.

He hadn't a chance, of course, with one of us on each side, and Starlight threatening to shoot him if he raised a finger.

`Let's put him in the logs,' says Jim.`My word! just for a lark;turn for turn.Fair play, young fellow.You're being "run in" yourself now.

Don't make a row, and no one'll hurt you.'