That seemed enough, so they all shook hands with the spendthrift and slapped him on the back in good fellowship, and said they knew all the time he had a heart of gold and they feel free to say now that once the money has passed he won’t be let to go off the place till he has heard all about the new enterprise and let in on the ground floor, and they hope he won’t ever forget this moment when the money begins to roll in fit to smother him in round numbers.  So Safety says he knows they’re a good square set of boys, as clean as a hound’s tooth, and he’ll be over to-morrow to take over the stock and hear the interesting details.

The boys set up late that night figuring their share of the burglary.  There was twenty-five of these ground squirrels.  I was to get my fifty a head, at least ten of which was illegitimate.  Then for the thirty-five, which was the real robbery, I was to take half, and eight of the boys the other half.  I begun to wonder that night just what could be done to us under the criminal law.  It looked like three years in some good jail wouldn’t be a bit too harsh.

Next day bright and early here comes frugal Safety, gangling along behind his whiskers and bringing one of his ill-fed hirelings to help drive the stuff back.  Safety is rubbing his hands and acting very sprightly, with an air of false good fellowship.  It almost seems like he was afraid they had thought better of the trade and might try to crawl out.  He wants it over quick.  They all go down and help him drive his purchase out of the lower field, where they been hiding in the tall grass, and in no time at all have the bunch headed down the lane on to the county road, with Safety’s man keeping well up to protect ’em from the coyotes.

Next there’s kind of a solemn moment when the check is being made out.  Safety performs that serious operation down at the bunk house.  Making out any check is always the great adventure with him.  He writes it with his heart’s blood, and not being the greatest scholar in the world he has to count the letters in his name after it’s written—­he knows there ought to be nine together—­and then he has to wipe the ink off his hands and sigh dismally and say if this thing keeps up he’ll be spending his old age at the poor farm, and so forth.  It all went according to schedule, except that he seemed strangely eager and under a severe nervous strain.

Me?  I’d been, sort of hanging round on the edge of events while the dastardly deed was being committed, not seeming to be responsible in any way.  My Lord!  I still wanted to be able to face the bereaved man as an honest woman and tell him it was only some nonsense of the boys for which I could not be held under the law, no matter how good a lawyer he’d get.  When they come trooping out of the bunk house I was pretending to consult Abner, the blacksmith, about some mower parts.  And right off I was struck by the fact that Safety seemed to be his old self again; his air of false gayety and nervous strain had left him and he was cold and silent and deadly, like the poisonous cobra of India.