inion of the
majority."

"Yes," said Garstang, "it looks as if it must succeed: it looks as
if it can't go wrong. Our leader Dolphin, the brains of the gang, has
apparently fixed up everything; the details are all thought out; the men
are ready and available, but----"

"But what?" asked Dolphin gruffly. "Are you going to back down?
Frightened of getting a bit of lead from a rusty old revolver, eh?"

"It ain't that," replied the ugliest member of the gang, "but supposin'
there's no money in the bloomin' bank, what then?"

A roar of laughter greeted his surmise.

"What d'you suppose the bank's for," asked Carnac, "if not to store up
money?"

"Whips and whips of money," observed Sweet William, the stem of his
lighted pipe between his teeth. "You go with a legitimate cheque for,
say, L550, and you'd get it cashed all right."

"Certainly"; replied Garstang, "in notes. And that's where we'd fall in.
Every number is known, and so soon as we tried to cash the dirty paper,
we'd get lagged. Even if we passed 'em at pubs, we'd be traced. What we
want is gold--nothing but gold. And I'd be surprised if they have a
thousand sovereigns in the bank."

"If they have," remarked Dolphin, "you'll get two-fifty. Isn't that good
enough?"

"That's it," retorted his troublesome follower, "there's considerable
risk about the business, in spite of you fixing all the details so neat
and easy. I ask, 'Is it good enough to get about ten years for the sake
of L250?'"

"Just what I thought," exclaimed Dolphin. "You're a cock-tail. In your
old age you've grown white-livered. I guess, Garstang, you'd better
retire, and leave those to carry out the work who don't know what fear
is."

"That's so," echoed Carnac, drumming the table with his white fingers.

"You don't ketch my meaning," growled Garstang, angry and surly. "What I
want is a big haul, and damn the risk. There's no white liver about
_me_, but I say, 'Let's wait till we've reason to know that the bank's
safe is heavily loaded.' I say, 'Wait till we know extra big payments
have been made into it.' Let's get all we can for our trouble."

"'Ere, 'ere," said Sweet William. "I'm there. Same sentiment 'ere," and
he smote his narrow chest.

"But how are we to find out the bank's business?" asked Dolphin. "Lor'
bless us, if the manager would tip us the wink, we'd be all right."

"Get me took in as extry clerk," suggested William. "Blame me, if I
don't apply for the billet to-morrow