en to commission
the capable man who happened to lead the Jervice gang to recover for
them the property for which they had risked their liberty.

This, therefore, had brought to Buffalo Center, first of all, a hard,
desperate man, who was the leader of the gang, then J. Jervice with his
autocar, and, shortly to follow, various other whose characters were
more widely known than commended.

Incidentally the leader had found that the little bank at Buffalo Center
had its safe loaded with the sum of ten thousand dollars, which had been
placed therein for the convenience of a certain wheat buyer in making
some deals. This being rather in the line of work in which he had been
most successful the leader had decided to relieve this congestion of
cash and had so notified Mr. Jervice as soon as they met.

Mr. J. Jervice was thinking these things over as he went back to his
car. He had stopped running now that he was well clear of the camp. He
was walking slowly as one who is studying some great problem. It was not
the problem of transportation. This was his especial job and he knew
what to do about it. But this boy--this boy who owed him twenty dollars!
He began to see how he could get his money's worth. A plan formed in his
mind for using him.

That night the friends of Mr. Jervice arrived in the neighborhood and
gathered without undue ostentation at his camping-place.

They fell into a very solemn conference and they said many things with
which we are not greatly concerned. But Mr. Jervice made some remarks
which were more than interesting, and showed that though slight in frame
and deficient in courage he was a mighty plotter.

"About that window you wanted me to get through," he said. "I can't get
through that place."

"Yes, you can," insisted a big man who seemed to be the leader. "What's
more, you're the only runt in the gang, an' you'll have to do it. Us big
men can't train down to a hundred an' fifty pounds to get through that
window."

"Well, it ain't right for me to do it," objected Mr. Jervice. "It ain't
safe for me to be 'round the place, I tell you. I ain't very strong an'
I might break my neck."

"You'd never do it more'n once, Jervice, so don't let that worry you.
You got to do this 'cause nobody else can't git through."

"But I've got a better scheme."

"Spit it out, an' don't waste no time talkin' nonsense, neither."

"I've found a boy. He's strong an' active an' fairly big, but he ain't
so big he