His voice, grown shrill and sharp, was chopped off by the explosion. It
was a noise such as Terry had never heard before--like a tremendously
condensed and powerful puff of wind. There was not a sharp jar, but he
felt an invisible pressure against his body, taking his breath. The sound
of the explosion was dull, muffled, thick. The door of the safe crushed
into the flooring.
Terry had nerved himself for two points of attack--Lewison from the front
of the building, and the guard at the rear. But Lewison did not yell for
help. He had been dangerously close to the explosion and the shock to his
nerves, perhaps some dislodged missile, had flung him senseless on the
sand outside the bank.
But from the rear of the building came a dull shout; then the door beside
which Terry stood was dragged open--he struck with all his weight,
driving his fist fairly into the face of the man, and feeling the
knuckles cut through flesh and lodge against the cheekbone. The guard
went down in the middle of a cry and did not stir. Terry leaned to shake
his arm--the man was thoroughly stunned. He paused only to scoop up the
fallen revolver which the fellow had been carrying, and fling it into the
night. Then he turned back into the dark bank, with Red and Pat cursing
in frightened unison as they cowered against the wall behind him.
The air was thick with an ill-smelling smoke, like that of a partially
snuffed candle. Then he saw a circle of light spring out from the
electric lantern of Denver and fall on the partially wrecked safe. And it
glinted on yellow. One of the sacks had been slit and the contents were
running out onto the floor like golden water.
Over it stooped the shadow of Denver, and Terry was instantly beside him.
They were limp little sacks, marvellously ponderous, and the chill of the
metal struck through the canvas to the hand. The searchlight flickered
here and there--it found the little drawer which was wrenched open and
Denver's stubby hand came out, choked with greenbacks.
"Now away!" snarled Denver. And his voice shook and quaked; it reminded
Terry of the whine of a dog half-starved and come upon meat--a savage,
subdued sound.
There was another sound from the street where old Lewison was coming to
his senses--a gasping, sound, and then a choked cry: "Help!"
His senses and his voice seemed to return to him with a rush. His shriek
split through the darkness of the room like a ray of light probing to
find the guilty: "Thieves! Help!"
The yell gave strength to Terry. He caught some of the burden that was
staggering Denver into his own arms and floundered through the rear door
into the blessed openness of the night. His left arm carried the crushing
burden of the canvas sacks--in his right hand was the gun--but no form
showed behind him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account