“Sheriff,
“Watson Siding:
“Safe-blowers have been captured near here. Call in your posse.
“(Signed) O’Brien,
“Sheriff Quigg County.”
What the at first puzzled and then thunderstruck operator at Watson Siding read off his instrument ran very differently. It read:
“Safe THEY blowers ARE have HERE been IN captured STATION near INTEND here. GOING call OUT in BY your NIGHT posse. EXPRESS.
“(Signed) ’PHONE O’Brien, “BACK Sheriff HERE Quigg QUICK County.”
A moment after giving his “OK” the Watson Siding operator was at the telephone calling for Bixton central.
Meantime, having thus sent the message to WS to the bank-breakers’ satisfaction, Alex proceeded to call and send it by turns to Zeisler, Hammerton, and other stations on the line. Sending slowly, to make the most of his time, it was within fifteen minutes of the hour the express was due when Alex had sent the last of the messages.