ay him and his two fellows their
percentage. Then we could (apparently) work with impunity; for, of
course, if we committed a forgery in Europe and were recognised as
Americans--as probably we would be--the foreign police would report the
case to the New York police--that is, to Irving--and we should be safe
in New York.

Edwin James and Brea had dropped out of our lives for good, but as my
readers will be curious to know of their fate in after times, I will
relate it in this chapter.

The morning our scheme on Jay Cooke & Co. fell to pieces, as soon as the
manager left the office, telling Brea he was to pay cash for the bonds
in place of the check, it was recognized at once that the game was up,
and the only thing remaining was to shield James as much as possible. So
Brea left the office, but first instructed the clerk to tell the
messenger when he came that he had gone for the money, and would call
for the bonds. This was done, the messenger arrived, being accompanied
by Detective Elder all the time, and took the bonds back again.

At 2 o'clock James went down to the bankers, where he was well known,
and inquired for Mr. Newman. Being told he was not in, he said he had
made an appointment to meet him there. Invited into the inner office,
the manager asked him if he had any personal knowledge of this Mr.
Newman, and James said no further than that he had called and given him
a retaining fee of $250, and had engaged him as legal adviser, etc. Then
the manager produced a telegram he had received in answer to one he had
sent to the Philadelphia house, inquiring about Newman, and asking if
his letter of introduction was genuine or not. James read the reply; it
said the letter was genuine, but that they knew absolutely nothing about
the man, and warned him to be cautious. James pretended astonishment,
and feigned to be very indignant, declaring that if Mr. Newman did not
put in an appearance within half an hour he should begin to fear a fraud
had been attempted. When the closing hour came at 3 o'clock, the manager
announced to James that he should give the whole matter to the press,
but would keep his name out of it.

So they parted with warm congratulations over their escape, the manager
pretending to believe James was an innocent tool, but no doubt with a
shrewd suspicion that he intended to have a finger in this pie, had the
pie ever been baked and divided. Had the bankers been victimized they
would have striven with