"Cheese it!" Dillon commanded.
He was fixing a fulminating cap to the end of a fuse, and he inserted this into the cup. Then he plastered it all over with soap, picked up his revolver, lighted the slow fuse from the candle, and, rising quickly, he stepped back, drawing Archie with him. They stood in a corner of the room watching the creeping spark; a moment more and there was the thud of an explosion, and Dillon was springing toward the safe; he seized the handle, opened the heavy door, and was down with his candle peering into its dark interior. He went through it rapidly, drew out the stamps and the currency and the coin. Another moment and they were outside. Mandell and Squeak were where Dillon had left them.
"All right," Dillon said. "Lam!"
VI
A week later, returning by a roundabout way, Dillon and his companions came back to town. That night Dillon, Archie, Squeak, Mandell and Mason were arrested. When Archie was taken up to the detectives' office and found himself facing Kouka, his heart sank.
"Couldn't take a little friendly advice, could you?" said Kouka, thrusting forward his black face.
Archie was dumb.
"Where'd you get that gat?" Kouka demanded.
Still Archie was dumb.
"You might as well tell," Kouka said. "Your pals have split on you."