"What is it, anyway?" demanded Miller.
"An express package on the M. & M. road, which will go through on the midnight express, it's worth $10,000."
Whistles and exclamations of surprise and delight escaped the gang.
This was something unusually rich.
Besides they were all pretty hard up.
"Let's hear about it," said Cole Younger.
"Well, I was in Kansas City and there learned that the Fourth National Bank sends a keg of $10,000 in gold coin on the tenth of each month, to the banking firm of Bradford & Co., in Springfield, Illinois. That train will reach a point between Polo and Cowgill, according to the timetable, shortly after midnight. As it is the only train which carries an express car bound for Springfield, it must be the one we are after."
"That's fair to presume," said Frank.
"We had better stop it and see!" Jesse exclaimed. "We can hold it up at the curve, and as there's a dense mass of bushes on each side of the track, you all can conceal yourselves there until I get the cars stopped. Then an attack can be made upon the passengers, while I and several others get into the express car after the keg of money."
A plan of operations was then agreed upon.