I determined to begin my scheme at once by making a call on Billy at the bank, and it wasn’t an unexpected one either, for I had conferred with him. Accordingly I journeyed there and was ready to be admitted when the night watchmen took their leave. I was careful that they should not set eyes on me, as there was a big job ahead and big game in it, and I knew the greatest amount of caution was necessary. I waited in sight of the Second Street door, the main entrance being kept locked until the arrival of the clerks. Scarcely had the night watchmen’s footsteps died away, when the Second Street door was cautiously moved ajar, and Billy’s head popped out. Making a careful survey of the surroundings, and evidently satisfied that the moment was favorable, he motioned me to enter. I grunted with satisfaction. It was a long way to success, it occurred to me--getting inside of an institution of this character. The thought was but of the moment, for I had work to do and precious little time in which to do it. Directly I had taken in every detail of the bank room. I made a clear negative of it, and, so to speak, stowed it away in my optical gallery, for future observation when perhaps daylight might not be at hand. The vault, as Billy had told me, was a tower of strength. In fact, I can’t recall of ever having seen a stronger one. Added to this was another obstacle to be overcome, and that was the situation of the vault. It was in plain sight, through a window, of any one passing in Second Street. I carefully examined its outside mechanism and took pencilled notes and mental ones also. I did all I could before the time arrived for the clerks to come on duty. Having made a general survey, and, in fact, studied the situation fairly well, I knew that my next move would necessitate a return to New York. Therefore, bidding Billy be of good cheer and assuring him that everything looked hopeful, I journeyed back forthwith. First, I paid a visit to the Yale Lock Company’s salesroom, representing myself to be a down-town business man in search of a first-class combination lock of American manufacture. “I want,” said I, to the gentleman who attended me; “an American lock for one of my correspondents in Glasgow, Scotland. It is to be used in a banking office.” The salesman was certain he could accommodate me and did, by permitting me to examine many intricate locks at my leisure. “This one will suit me,” I concluded at length. It was a duplicate of the Yale lock on the outside door of the Corn Exchange Bank vault. He offered to forward it to Scotland, but as that didn’t serve my purpose, I paid him two hundred dollars and said I’d take it with me at once.