it. In times of
disturbance parties of ruffians often turn to plunder. Not even the
most rigorous precautions can guard against it. Now, it would be very
possible that even to-night a band of such maurauders might make an
attack on the bank, and carry off all the money in the safe."

"Oh!" said the colonel, "that's the game, is it?"

"That," I replied, "is the game; and a very neat game too, if you'll
play it properly."

"And what will they say in Europe, when they hear the Provisional
Government is looting private property?"

"My dear colonel, you force me to much explanation. You will, of
course, not appear in the matter."

"I should like to be there," he remarked. "If I weren't, the men
mightn't catch the exact drift of the thing."

"You will be there, of course, but _incognito_. Look here, colonel,
it's as plain as two peas. Give out that you're going to reconnoiter
the coast and keep an eye on _The Songstress_. Draw off your companies
from the Piazza on that pretense. Then take fifteen or twenty men you
can trust--not more, for it's no use taking more than you can help,
and resistance is out of the question. About two, when everything is
quiet, surround the bank. Jones will open when you knock. Don't hurt
him, but take him outside and keep him quiet. Go in and take the
money. Here's the key of the safe. Then, if you like, set fire to the
place."

"Bravo, my boy!" said the colonel. "There's stuff in you after all.
Upon my word, I was afraid you were going to turn virtuous."

I laughed as wickedly as I could.

"And what are you going to get out of it?" he said. "I suppose that's
coming next?"

As the reader knows, I wasn't going to get anything out of it, except
myself and the signorina. But it wouldn't do to tell the colonel that;
he would not believe in disinterested conduct. So I bargained with
him for a _douceur_ of thirty thousand dollars, which he promised so
readily that I strongly doubted whether he ever meant to pay it.

"Do you think there's any danger of Whittingham making an attack while
we're engaged in the job?"

The colonel was, in common parlance, getting rather _warmer_ than I
liked.

It was necessary to mislead him.

"I don't think so," I replied. "He can't possibly have organized much
of a party here yet. There's some discontent, no doubt, but not enough
for him to rely on."

"There's plenty of discontent," said the colonel.

"There won't be in a couple of hours."

"Why not