In a small village of one of the Eastern States was a store owned by one of the prominent men of the town. In connection with the store, and in the same building, was the only bank in the town. Over the bank one of the employees always slept. One night in the late winter a gang of yeggs descended upon the village and attacked the bank. They found little difficulty in forcing an entrance and inserting enough “soup” (nitro glycerine) to throw open the door at the first “shot” (explosion). There was an inner door, however, and they went back into the building to insert another charge. In the meantime the employee of the bank, sleeping overhead, was awakened by the first explosion. With more nerve than sense, he grabbed a shotgun, inserted two shells, and noiselessly slipped down the stairs to investigate. At about this time the yeggs were returning for the second shot and they met the employee just at the threshold. The employee shot at the foremost of the yeggs, both barrels throwing their load of lead through the yegg’s right arm, just beneath the shoulder. The arm was nearly severed and the yegg lay stunned on the floor. The rest of the gang took the recumbent form of their pal in their arms and after stopping at a safe distance to give what succor they could, carried him in the face of pursuit for fourteen miles. Twice they were caught up with by the following posses and as many times they eluded them. They eventually escaped altogether. The wounded yegg lost his arm, but not his liberty. There are many such instances of loyalty to clan in the history of the yegg life. CHAPTER XVI CONCERNING PRISON MANAGEMENT During my career as a yegg I was arrested four times and stood trial in two of the cases and “beat” (was acquitted in) both. One case never came to trial, the other one brought me a State prison sentence of fifteen years. The crime was blowing open a safe from which we failed to secure a single penny. Such is the life of a yegg. I heard that sentence of fifteen years pronounced upon me with a feeling mixed with contempt and hatred. I hated society, I was antagonistic to religion, and the sentence of fifteen years but aggravated both. I pictured the bank thief, the respectable crook getting away with the savings of widows and children, with his paltry three years’ punishment. I saw the seducer of chaste women come off the stand with a mere sentence of months. The pictures intensified my hatred and I entered prison to begin my sentence, a criminal in mind and nature.