It was the day following New Year’s Day that the brothers returned to Woodcrest and once more plunged into the routine of school life. Things went along smoothly for a week, and then something unexpected happened.
Just as Don and Jim were cleaning up one evening for dinner Terry burst into the room, his eyes shining with excitement.
“A little excitement now and then, is relished by the best of men!” recited the red-headed boy.
“Admitting that I am the best of men, what is the excitement!” grinned Jim, carefully hanging up his towel.
“The Portville Bank was held up and robbed this afternoon!” came the startling answer.
“What’s that?” Don exclaimed.
“Sure enough,” affirmed Terry, bouncing down on the bed. “A big car drove up to the bank just before closing time and three masked men got out, walked into the place, forced their way into a couple of private vaults and ran off with a few thousand dollars, to say nothing of some valuable family plate.”
“Right in broad daylight?” asked Jim.
“Yes, bold as brass. It was all over so quickly that the police didn’t have a chance to do a thing about it. The bandits drove out of town before anything could be done in the way of turning in an alarm.”
“They must have had the thing planned for a long time ahead, to pull off a stunt like that in the daytime,” Don said. “They must be a slick bunch, to drive out of town in a car in broad daylight.”