'Why not blow up the clock of the time-lock?' ventured the patrol.
'Look here!' said Mr. Galpin, 'you ought to know better than that, even if this other gent doesn't. Any violence to the clock automatically jams all the connecting levers. Stop the clock, and it's all up. Nothing but unbuilding the whole place would free the locks after that. And it would be a mighty smart firm that could unbuild this place inside a fortnight. No!' he said again. 'No gammon with the clock—unless we could make it go quicker.'
'Then there's nothing,' Simon stammered.
Mr. Galpin gazed at the young man.
'Assuming I do the job, what's the job worth?' he asked.
'It's worth anything.'
'Is it worth a hundred pounds?'
'Yes.'
'Cash?'
'Yes, I promise it. I will hand you my savings-bank book if you like.'