Show t (Copyright HE St by Alnalee Magailn west bound San at 8:20 with a stopped on Rosario a m A man thick black leather wallet under his arm left the train and walked rapidly VP the main street of the town There were other passengers who Mso got off at San Rosario but they either slouched over to the llmberly fallroad eating house or the Silver pollar saloon or Joined the groups of Idlers about the station Indecision had no part In the movements of the man with the wallet He was short In stature but strongly built with very light closely trimmed hair and smooth determined face nose glasses aggressive He was well dressed in the prevailing eastern style His air denoted a quiet but conscious reserve force If not ' actual authority After walking a distance of three squares he came to the center of the town’s business area Here another crossed street of Importance the main one forming the hub of San Rosario’s life and commerce Upon one corner stood the postoffice Upon another Rubensky’s clothing emporium The other two diagonally opposing corners were by the occupied town’s two banks the First National and the Stockmen’s National Into the First National bank of San Rosario the newcomer walked never slowing his brisk step until he stood at the cashier’s window The bank opened for business at nine and the working force was already assembled each preparing his department for the days business The cashier was examining the mall when he noticed the stranger standing at his window "Bank doesn't open ’til nine” he remarked curtly but without fueling He had had to make that statement so often to early birds since San Rosario adopted city banking hours "I am well aware of that” said the other man In cool brittle tones "Will vou kindly receive my card?” spotThe cashier drew the small less parallelogram Inside the bars of his wicket and read: J F National C NETTLEWICK Bank Examiner "Oh— er — will you walk around InYour first side Mr — er — Nettle wick of visit — didn’t know your business course Walk right around picse” Inside was quickly The examiner of the bank the sacred precincts Introduced where he was ponderously in to each employee turn by Mr — cashier a middle aged the Edlinger of deliberation discretion gentleman and method "I was kind of expecting Sam Turner round again pretty soon” said Mr Edlinger "Sam’s been examining us now for about four years I guves conyou’ll find us all right though the tightness in business sidering Not overly much money on hand but able to stand the storms sir stand the storms" "Mr Turner and I have been orto exchange dered by the comptroller districts" said the examiner in his “He Is covformal tones decisive ering my old territory In southern IlliI will take the cash nois and Indiana first please” Perry Dorsey the teller was already arranging his cash on the counHe ter for the examiner’s inspection knew it was right to a cent and he had nothing to fear but he was nervSo was every man ous and flustered There vas something In the bank and so icy and swift so Impersonal about this man that uncompromising his very presence seemed an accusamanwho He looked to be a tion an would never make nor overlook error Mr Nettle wick first seized the currency and with a rapid almost Juggling motion counted it by packages Then he spun the sponge cup toward him and verified the count by bills His thin white fingers flew like some expert musician’s upon the keys of a He dumped the gold upon the piano and the coins counter with a crash whined and sang as they skimmed across the marble slab from the tips The air was full of his nimble digits when he came of fractional currency to the halves and quarters He countHe had ed the last nlckle and dime and he weighed the scales brought every sack of silver in the vault He each of questioned Dorsey concerning the cash memoranda — certain dhecks charge slips etc carried over from the previous day’s work— with unimcourtesy yet with somepeachable in momentous thing so mysteriously his frigid manner that the teller was reduced to pink cheeks and a stammering tongue was This newly imported examiner so different from Sam Turner It had been Sam’s way to enter the bank with a shout pass the cigars and tell the latest stories he bad picked up on His customary greeting his roundsPerry! to Dorsey had been "Hello Haven't skipped out with the boodle Turner’s 'of counting I way see” yet He the’ cash1 had been different too would finger the packages of bills in a tired kind of way and then go into the vault and kick over a few sack of sliver and the thing was done Halves Co) Not for and quarters and dimes? “No chicken feed for Sam Turner me” he would say when they were set “I'm not In the agriculbefore him tural department” But then Turner was a Texan an old friend of the bank’s president end had known Dorsey since he was a baby While the examiner was counting the cash MaJ Thomas B Kingman-kno- wn to every one as "Major Tom” — the president of the Frist National drove up to the side door with his old dun horse and buggy and came inside He saw the examiner busy with the money and going into the In "pony corral" as he called which his desk was railed off he began to look over his letters Earlier a little incident bad occurred that even the sharp eyes of the examiner bad failed to notice When he had begun his work at the cash counter Mr Edlinger had winked significantly at Roy Wilson the youthful bank messenger and nodded his head slightly toward the front door Roy understood took his hat and walked leisurely out with his collector's book under his arm Once outside he made for the Stockmen’s Nationa al 'That bank was also getting ready to open No customers had as yet presented themselves “Say you people!” cried Roy with the familiarity of youth and long acquaintance "you want to get a move on you There’s a new bank examiner over at the First and he’s a He’s counting nickels on Perry and he’s got the whole outfit bluffed Mr Edlinger gave me the tip to let you know” Mr Buckley president of the National — a stout elderly man looking like a farmer dressed for Sunday — beard Roy from his private office in the rear and called him "Has Major Kingman come down to the bank yet?” he asked the boy “Yes sir he was Just driving up as I left” said Roy "I want you to take him a note Put It into his own hands as soon as you it Of late years the knew cattle business had gone to pieces and the major’s bank was one of the few whose losses had not been great "And now-- said the examiner briskly pulling out bis watch "the last We will take them thing is the loans up now If you please” He had gone through the First speed at almost —but thoroughly as be did everyThe running order of the bank thing was smooth and clean and that had his work There was but facilitated He reone other bank in the town ceived from the government a fee of $25 for each bank that he examined He should be able to go over those in half an hour loans and dlsoounts If so he could examine the other bank afterward and catch the immediately 11:45 the only other train that day OthIn the direction he was working he would have to spend the erwise night and Sunday in this uninterestThat is why Mr ing western town Nettlewick was rushing matters "Come with me sir" said Major voice that in hts Kingman deep united the southern drawl with the rhythmic twang of the west "we will go over them together Nobody in the bank knows those notes as I do Some of ’em are little wobbly on tbelr legs and some are Mavericks without extra but on their backs many brands they’ll most all pay out at the Woundup" The two sat down at the president's went desk First the examiner through the notes at lightning speed and added up their total finding it to agree with the amount of loans carbalances ried on the book of daily Next he took up the larger loans ininto the condition quiring scrupulously or securities The of their indorsers to seemed new examiner’s mind course and turn and make unexpected dashes hither and thither like a blooda trail hound seeking Finally aside all the notes except a few which he arranged in a neat pile before him and began a dry formal little speech of your “I find sir the condition the bank to be very good considering in the poor crops and the depression cattle interests of your state The acbe done seems work to clerical Your curately and punctually paper is moderate in amount and I would promises only a small loss recommend the calling in of your large loans and the making of only or call loans until sixty or ninety-darevives And now general business Nettlewick settled himself In his There would be no leaving San Rosario for him that day He would have to telegraph to the comptroller of the currency he would have to swear out a warrant before the United States commissioner for the arrest of Major Kingman perhaps he would be ordered to close the bank on account of the loss of the securities It was not the first crime the examiner had unearthed Once or twice the terrible upheaval of human emotions that his investigations bad loosed had almost caused a ripple In his official calm He had seen bank men kneel and plead an $ cry like women for a chance — an hour’s time — the overlooking of a single error One cashier had shot himself at his desk before him None of them had taken it with the dignity and coolness of this stern old westerner Nettlewick felt that he owed it to him at least to listen if he wished to talk With his elbow on the arm of his chair and his square chin resting upon the fingers of his right hand the bank examiner waited to hear the confession of the president of the First National bank of San Rosario “When a man's your friend” began somewhat Major Tom didactically "for forty years and tried by water fire earth and cyclones when you can do him a little favor you feel like doing it” (“Embezzle for him $70000 worth of securities" thought the examiner) "We were cowboys together Bob and I" mtlnued the major speaking slowly and deliberately and musingly as if his thoughts were rather of the past than the critical present "and we prospected together for gold and silver over Arizona New Mexico We and a good part of California but were both in the war of in different commands We've fought side Indians and horse thieves by Bide we’ve starved for weeks In a buried cabin in the Arizona mountains we've ridtwenty feet deep in snow den herd together when the wind blew couldn't strike so hard the lightning — Well Bob and I have been through some rough Epells since the first time we met in the branding camp of the old ranch And during that time we’ve found it necessary more than once to help each other In those days it out of tight places was expected of a man to stick to hl3 friend and he didn’t ask any credit for it Probably next day you’d need back and help him to get at your stand off a band of Apaches or put a chair get back" Mr Buckley sat down and began write Roy returned and handed to Major the Kingman the envelope containing note The major read it folded it and slipped it into his vest pocket He leaned back in his chair for a few moments as if be were meditating deeply and then rose and went Into He came out the vault with the leather note case bulky stamped on the back in gilt letters “Bills Discounted” In this were the notes due the bank with their attached securities and the major in his rough way dumped the lot upon his desk and began to sort them over had finishBy this time Nettlewick ed his count of the cash His pencil fluttered like a swallow over the sheet of paper on which he had set his figHe opened his black wallet ures which seemed to be also a kind of secret memorandum book made a few rapid figures in it wheeled and trans fixed Dorsey with the glare of bi That look seemed to say: spectacles “You’re safe this time but — ” “Cash all correct” snapped the exHe made a dash for the inaminer dividual bookkeeper and for a few minutes there was a fluttering of ledger leaves and a sailing o oaiuuce sheets through the air “How often do vou balance your he demanded passbooks?” suddenly "Er— once a month” faltered the individual bookkeeper wondering how manv years they would give him "All right" said the examiner turning and charging upon the general who had the statements bookkeeper of his foreign banks and their reconcilement memoranda ready Everything there was found to be all right Then the stub book of the certificates Flutter— flutter— zip— zip of deposit — check! All right List of overH’m-Undrafts please Thanks signed bills of the bank next All to on your leg above a rattlebite and ride for whisky So after all it was give and take and if you didn’t stand square with your pardner why you might be shy one when you needed him But Bob was a man who was willing to go further than that He never played a limit right Then came the cashier’s turn and years ago I was sheriff “Twenty of this county and I made Bob my Mr Edlinger rubbed ms chief deputy nose and polished his glasses nervousThat wa3 before the cattle when we both made boom in ly under the quick fire of questions I was our Btake sheriff the circtflation and colundivided concerning lector and it was a big thing for me bank real estate and stock profits then I was married and we had a ownership was aware of boy and a girl— a four and a six Presently Nettlewick There was a comfortable a big man towering above him at his house elbow — a man of sixty years of age next to the courthouse furnished by the county rent free and I was rugged and hale with a rough grizsence” zled beard a mass of gray hair and Bob did most of He saving some money Nettlewick felt a slight thrill the office work a pair of penetrating blue eyes that had not expected this He had struck Both of us had seen confronted the formidable glasses of a momentous trail when the hunt was rough times and plenty of rustling and I and tell the examiner without a flicker you it was great to danger drawing to a close “Er — Major Kingman hear the rain dashing against the our president “Ah!” said the examiner He wait— er — Mr Nettlewick” said the cashwindows of nights and be warm and and then continued: ed a moment safe and comfortable and know you ier “May I ask you to explain more defcould get up In the morning and be Two men of very different initely?” types shook hands One was a finished “The securities were taken by me" shaved and have folks call you ’miI ster’ And then had the finest wife “It was not for product of the world of straight lines repeated the major and kids that ever struck the range conventional methods and formal afmy own use but to save an old friend fairs The other was something freer in trouble Come in here sir and and my old friend with me enjoying the first fruits of prosperity and white wider and nearer to nature we'll talk it over” Tom shirts and I guess I was happy Yes "Your statement” he began "since Kingman had not been cut to any patI was happy about that time” tern He had been cowyou have failed to modify it amounts The major sighed and glanced casuas you must know to a very serious boy ranger soldier sheriff prospector The bank and cattleman "Now when he was ally out of the window You are aware also of what thing bank president his old comrades from his position and I examiner changed my duty must compel me to do his other the prairies of the saddle tent and shall have to go before the United leaned his chin upon hand —" no found In him and make trail He States commissioner change "One winter” continued bad made his fortune when Texas catthe major “I know I know” said Major Tom tle were at the high tide of value and with a wave of his hand "You don't “the money for the county taxes came the had organized First National pouring in so fast that I didn't have suppose I'd run a bank without being In spite of his bank of San Rosario posted on national banking laws and time to take the stuff to the bank for a week the revised statutes! Do your duty I Just shoved the checks largeness of heart and sometimes unI’m not asking any favors wise generosity toward his old friends But I into a cigar box and the money into a I did want ‘you sack and locked them in i h big safe the bank bad prospered for MaJ Tom spoke of my friend that belonged in the sheriff’s effiee Kingman knew men as well as he to hear me tel! you about Bob” is one thing more and I will Here have finished with the bank are six notes aggregating something acike $40000 They are secured various to faces their by cording etc to the stocks bonds shares Those securities are value of $70000 missing from the notes to which they I suppose you should be attached You have them in the safe or vault will permit me to examine them” eyes turned Major Tom’s toward the examiner unflinchingly In a low but "No sir” he said “those securities are steady tone I neither in the safe nor the vault You have taken them may hold me for their abresponsible personally there tourniquet snake "I had been overworked that week and was about sick anyway My nerves were out of order and my sleep at night didn't seem to rest me The name for doctor had some scientific it and I was taking medicine And so added to the rest I went to bed at night with that money on my mind Not that there wai much need of being worried for the safe was a good one and nobody but Bob and I knew the combination On Friday night there was about $6500 in cash in the On Saturday morning I went bag to the office as usual The safe was locked and Bob was writing nt his I opened the desk safe and the I called Bob and money was gone in the courthouse roused everybody to announce the robbery It struck me that Bob took it pretty quiet considering bow much it reflected upon both him and me "Two days went by and we never It couldn't have been got a clew for the safe had been opened burglars in the proper way by the combination have talk for must to begun People one afternoon in comes Alice— that’s my wife — and the boy and girl and Alice stamps her foot and her eyes ’The lying flash and she cries out: wretches — Tom Tom!’ I catch her in a faint and bring her 'round little by little and she lays her head down and cries and cries for the first time since she took Tom Kingman's name And Jack and ZiUa— and fortunes the youngsters— they were always wild as tiger cubs to rush at Bob and climb all over him whenever they were allowed to come to the courthouse — they stood and kicked their little shoes and herded together like scared partridges They were having their first trip down into the shadows of life Bob was working at his desk and he got up and went out without a word The grand Jury was in session then and the next morning Bob went before them and confessed that he stole the money He said he loBt it in a poker game In fifteen minutes they had found a true bill and sent me to arrest the man with whom I'd been closer than a thousand brothers for many a year “I did it and then I said to Bob ‘There's my house and pointing: here's my office and up there’s Maine and out that way Is California and over there is Florida — and that's your You’re in my range ’til court meets charge and I take the responsibility You be here when you're wanted’ “‘Thanks Tom’ he said kind of ‘I was sort of hoping carelessly you wouldn’t lock me up Court meets next Monday so if you don’t object I'll just loaf around the office till then I’ve got one favor to ask if it isn’t too much If you’d let the kids come out in the yard once in a while and have a romp I’d like it’ '“Why not?’ I answered him welcome and so are you 'They're And come to my house the same as ever’ You see Mr Nettlewick you of a friend can’t make a thief but neither can you make a thief of a friend all at once" The examiner made no answer At that moment was heard the shrill whistle of a locomotive pulling into the depot That was the train on the little road that struck into San Rosario from the south The major cocked his ear and listened for a moment and looked at his watch The was in on time — 10: 35 The major continued: “So Bob hung around the office I put reading the papers and smoking another deputy to work in his place and after a while the first excitement of the case wore off "One day when we were alone in the office Bob came over to where I was sitting He was looking sort of grim and blue— the same look he used to get when he’d been up watching for Indians all night or herd riding “ ’Tom’ says he ‘it’s harder-thastanding off redskins It’s harder than lying in the lava desert forty miles from water but I’m going to stick it out to the end that’s You know been my style But if you’d tip me the smallest kind of a sign — if you’d I understand’ ‘Bob juBt say: why It Would make it lots easier’ “I ’I don’t know was surprised what you mean ‘Of Bob’ I said course you know that I’d do anything under the sun to help you that I could But you’ve got me guessing’ ‘“All right Tom’ was all he said and he went back to his newspaper and lit another cigar "It was the night before court met when I found out what he meant went to bed that night with that same old nervous feeling come back upon me I dropped off to sleep about midnight When I awoke I was standing half dressed In one of the courthouse corridors Bob was holding one of my arms our family doctor the other and Alice was shaShe had king me and half crying sent for the doctor without my knowing It and when he came they had found me out of bed and missing and had begun a search “ said the doctor “All of us went back to the house and the doctor told us some remarkable stories about the strange things people had done while In that condition was feeling rather chilly after my trip out and as my wife was out of the room at the time I pulled open the door of an old wardrobe that stood in the room and dragged out a big With it quilt I had seen in there tumbled out the bag of money for stealing which Bob was to be tried— and convicted — in the morning " ‘How the Jumping rattlesnakes did that get there?’ yelled and all hands must bave seen how surprised I was Bob knew in a flash “ ‘You darned old snoozer’ he said with the look on his face T saw you put it there I watched you open the safe and take It out and I I looked through the followed you window and saw you hide it In that wardrobe’ " Then you blankety-blancoyote what did you say you took It for? " ’Because’ 1 said Bob simply know were didn't you asleep' "I saw him glance toward the doot of the room where Alice and Jack and Zilla were and I knew then what it from meant to be a man’s friend ' Bob’s point of view" Major Tom paused and again directed his glance out of the window He saw some one in the Stockmen’s National bank reach and draw a yellow shade down the whole length of Its plate glass big front window although the position of the sun did not seem to warrant such a defensive movement against its rays Nettlewick Bat up straight in his chair He had listened patiently but without consuming interest to the major's sory It had impressed him as irrelevant to the situation and it could certainly have no effect upon Those western peothe consequences ple he thought had an exaggerated sentimentality They were not ss-like They needed to be protected from their friends Evidently the And what be major had concluded said amounted to nothing “U "May I ask’’ said the examiner you have anything further to say that bears directly upon the question ot those abstracted securities?" “Abstracted securities sir!” Major Tom turned suddenly In his chair bit blue eyes flashing upon the examines “What do you mean sir?” his coat pocket ft He drew from batch of folded papers held togetket and tossed them by a rubber band into Nettlewlck's hands and rose tfl his feet ‘‘You’ll And those securities there sir every stock bond and share oi I took them from the notes ’em while you were counting the cash Examine and compare them for yourself” The major led the way back into The examiner the astounded perplexed nettled at sea He felt that he had been followed made the victim of something that was not exactly a hoax but that left him in the shoes of one who bad been played upon used and then discarded without even an Inkling of tho game Perhaps also his official position had been irreverently Juggled with But there was nothing bo An official report could take hold of of the matter would be an absurdity And somehow he felt that he would never know anything more about tho matter than he did then Nettlewick mechanically FYlgidly the securities found them examined to telly with the notes gathered his black wallet to depart “I will say” he protested turning the indignant glare ot his glasses “that your upon Major Kingman statestatements— your misleading ments which you do not condescend to explain— do not appear to be quite the thing regarded either as bus— ess such or humor do not understand motives or action Major Tom looked down at him s ' renely and not unkindly "Son” he said "there are plenty of things in the chaparral and on and up the canyons that you don’t understand But I want to thank to a garrulous old you for listening We old Texans man’s prosy stories love to talk about our adventures and our old comrades and the borne folks have long ago learned to run when we begin with 'Once uron time' bave to spin our yarns to th stranger within our gates” The major smiled but the examine? only bowed codly and abruptly quitted the bank They saw him travel across the street in a diagonally straight line and enter the National bank Major Tom sat down at his desk and drew from his vest pocket the note Roy had given him He had read it once but hurriedly and now with like a twinkle lq bis eyes something he read again These were the words he read: '' "Dear Tom: "I hear there’s one of Uncle Sam's grayhounds you and going through that means that we'll catch him lnsida of a couple of hours maybe Now 1 for me want you to do something We’ve got just $2200 in the bank and the law requires that we bave I let Ross and Fisher have $18000 late yesterday afternoon to buy up that Gibson bunch of cattle They’ll realize $40000 In less than thirty days on the transaction but that won't make my cash on hand look any Now prettier to that bank examiner can’t show him those notea for they’re Just plain notes of hand without any security in sight but you know very well that Pink Ross and Jim Fisher are two of the finest white men God ever made and they'll do the Jim square thing You remember Fisher — he was the one who shot that faro dealer in El Paso I wired Sam Bradshaw’s hank to send me $20009 and it will get In on the at 10:35 You can’t let a bank examiner In to count $2200 and close your doors Tom you hold that examiner Hold him Hold him if you have to Watch rope him and sit on his head our front window after the gets In and when we’ve got the cash inside we'll pull the shade for a signal Don't turn him loose till then I’m counting on you Tom “Your Old Pard BOB BUCKLEY “Prest Stockmen’s National” The major began to tear the note into small pieces and throw them into his waste basket He gave a satisfied little chuckle ae be did so "Confounded old reckless he growled contentedly “that pays him some on account for what he tried to do for me in the sheriff's office 20 years ago” |