“He’s not a cracksman, Burke!” protested Frank. “The work here was done by a man who knew the business. Don’t make any snap judgments on the spur of the moment. Lenning was brought up by Colonel Hawtrey, and I don’t think he ever had a chance to take lessons in cracking safes. Give him the benefit of the doubt.”
“Let’s look this business square in the eyes,” answered Burke determinedly. “Lenning was at the bottom of it, but he certainly had help. That was part of the scheme. Some fellow who knew how acted as his confederate. While Lenning was around the place, after the bullion was locked up, it was easy for him to let his confederate into the laboratory. Probably Lenning himself was the lookout, while the confederate was tinkering with the safe. The noise of the explosion was drowned in the roar from the stamp mill. After all, Merriwell, it must have been Lenning who grabbed you and shoved you against the wall. You can consider that you got off pretty luckily, I think.”
“How much was that bullion worth?” queried Frank, with a sinking heart.
“It was base bullion—all this cyanide product, as we turn it out, is a good way from being the pure stuff. There were about six hundred ounces at, say, ten dollars an ounce. Placer gold runs double that, you know.”
“Six thousand dollars!” muttered Frank. “If Lenning took the gold, and if we don’t get it back, I’m in for that amount. Ouch! I wonder what dad will say when he hears of this brilliant piece of work?”
CHAPTER XX.
THE FINGER OF SUSPICION.
Merriwell was very much out of sorts with himself. It did not seem possible that Lenning could play such a game and make it win. And yet, he was missing and the bullion was missing. Lenning’s past record rose up against him, and clinched the circumstantial evidence. Nevertheless, a lingering doubt stirred itself far down in Merriwell’s mind.
“Chirk up, son!” said Burke, in a kindly tone. “I don’t believe Mr. Bradlaugh will come down very hard on you. You’ve made the biggest kind of a hit with the general manager, and you can bet something handsome he’ll let you off as easy as he can.”
“Business is business,” Merry answered glumly. “I put myself on record and became responsible for Lenning. It was on my say-so alone that Lenning got the job here. I’m not asking any favors from Mr. Bradlaugh, but I’ll be dinged if I call on dad to fork over the six thousand. I’ll go out and find a mine, or something, and pay it all myself.”