.

"If the head office had sent off the gold at once when I wired, it would
have been here by now," Eustace said to his assistant.

"Then everyone would have known it was here, and there is no saying what
might have happened," Harding jestingly answered. "Anyway, it is due
to-night."

Later, when the bank had closed for the day, a light waggon drew up at
the door with a couple of men in it.

"We've some books and boxes of stationery for you from the Wyalla
branch," one of the men called out as Eustace opened the door and looked
out.

A bushman slouching past with his roll of blankets slung across his
back, glanced round at the waggon and continued his way to the hotel.
Eustace and Harding both helped to carry the bundles and boxes into the
bank. When they were all inside Eustace turned to the men.

"You'll have some dinner with us before you go back?" he asked.

"Can't, old chap. Head office orders. Don't know what sort of people the
general manager thinks you've got in this part, but the strictest
secrecy in everything were our instructions, so Ted and I are teamsters
and nothing but teamsters till we get back to our own branch. So long,
old chap."

"It does seem a lot of rot," Harding remarked when the waggon was away
again.

"You haven't been here long enough to know old Dudgeon, Harding. Let us
get the gold into the safe--we'll put it in the reserve recess. I only
hope the old man comes in again to-morrow morning, so that we can pay it
over and get clear of it and his business."

But the next day passed without any sign of Dudgeon, and after a last
look round to see that all was right Eustace and Harding bade one
another good night with the hope that on the morrow Dudgeon would come
for his gold, though there was still another day before he could legally
demand it.

CHAPTER II

THE RIDDLE

At five minutes to ten the following morning Eustace awakened to find
the sunlight streaming into his room, the bank in absolute silence, and
his head so light and dizzy he could scarcely stand when he sprang out
of bed.

He glanced at the alarm clock on the mantelpiece. The alarm was set for
six, the hour at which Eustace almost invariably awakened. He had no
recollection of hearing it ring that morning, yet only a touch was
required to show that it had gone off at the proper time.

His wife still lay in deepest slumber.

"Jess! Jess!" he cried, as he shook her. "Wake up, Jess! It's nearly ten
o'clo