Morrison, a gifted mate and
subordinate, with whom he proceeded to act.

At dead of night the two broke into the farmhouse--crept into the
chamber of the old pair--crept softly, softly, lest the farmer might
keep a shotgun by his side. Sneaking to the foot of the bed, Israel
suddenly flashed his lantern full upon the pillows--upon the two pale,
deep-seamed faces crowned with silver hair.

The woman sat up with a piercing scream. The farmer clutched at his
gun. But Israel, bringing the glinting barrel of his revolver into the
lantern's shaft of light, ordered both to lie down. Carey, slouching at
hand, awaited orders.

"Where is your money?" demanded Israel, indicating the farmer by the
point of his gun.

"I have no money, you coward!"

"It's no use your lying to me. _Where's the money?_"

"I have no money, I tell you."

"Carey," observed Israel, "hunt a candle."

While Carey looked for the candle, Israel surveyed his victims with a
cheerful, anticipatory grin.

The candle came; was lighted.

"Carey," Israel spoke again, "you pin the old woman down. Pull the quilt
off. Clamp her feet together. So!"

Then he thrust the candle-flame against the soles of those gnarled old
feet--thrust it close, while the flame bent upward, and the melting
tallow poured upon the bed.

The woman screamed again, this time in pain. The farmer half rose, with
a quivering cry of rage, but Israel's gun stared him between the eyes.
The woman screamed without interval. There was a smell of burning flesh.

"Now we'll change about," remarked Israel, beaming. "I'll hold the old
feller. You take the candle, Carey. You don't reely need your gun--now,
do ye, boy?"

And so they began afresh.

It was not a game to last long. Before dawn the two were back in their
own place, bearing the little all of value that the rifled house had
contained.

When the news of the matter spread abroad, it seemed, somehow, just a
straw too much. The District Attorney of the County of Cumberland blazed
into white heat. But he was powerless, he found. Not an officer within
his entire jurisdiction expressed any willingness even to attempt an
arrest.

"Then we shall see," said District Attorney Rhey, "what the State will
do for us, since we cannot help ourselves!" And he rushed off a
telegram, confirmed by post, to the Superintendent of the Department of
State Police.

The Superintendent of the Department of State Police promptly referred
the matter to t