They were not experts in this profession, Hugh guessed, for they took certain chances of being discovered while at work. Nevertheless, they depended on the vigilance of their outpost stationed on the street, as well as the reputation acquired by the town night officers for shirking their work when on beat.
When it was seen that the two men had actually commenced operations on the big safe, as though meaning to break into it, and have “the game as well as the name” now that they had gone to all this trouble, the concealed boys could hardly keep from leaping up and throwing themselves upon the robbers. Only the mastery which Hugh possessed over them prevented such a break; for it had become second nature now with them to wait for orders before making a move.
Apparently, there was no need of waiting further before showing their hand. Those outside could take warning when they heard a sudden sound of confusion within, and pounce upon the “outlook.”
The Chief had reserved to himself the giving of the signal, and every one, man and boy alike, knew what his particular part in the surprise attack was to be. If everything went right it would be like the mechanical action of clockwork machinery. Hugh hoped no cog in the wheel would miss connections, because that might interfere with the ultimate success of the whole scheme.
The two men were bending low when there came a sharp exclamation. They would have started up like a flash, but even then their action was just a trifle too late, for something heavy dropped upon them, and flattened both out upon the floor.
It was really the body of the Chief that had accomplished this coup. Before either one of the astonished rascals could squirm out from under his ponderous form the scouts became as busy as beavers. Hugh flashed the little light handed over to him by the Chief, and kept it playing full upon the focussing point where all their interest was centred. Consequently Tom, Sam and the rest of the fellows had no trouble in distributing themselves along the length of the recumbent figures of the disturbed thieves.
Hugh felt sure that, as Billy Worth would have said, it “was all over but the shouting,” when he saw how well pinned down the desperate rascals found themselves. He advanced closer so as to be in a position to carry out any wishes of the astute police head, such as slipping the waiting handcuffs over the wrists of the prisoners, and rendering them harmless, so that they might be stood up and looked over.
Several loud outcries from beyond the door announced that those who had been given the task of trapping the third member of the audacious set had taken a hint just as soon as they heard the first sound within the store. They soon came into the building pushing a man before them, who was lined up with the other pair.
Three more disgusted-looking fellows had likely never before been paraded in front of the scouts. Just as Hugh and Ralph had suspected, they turned out to be Gaffney, the former owner of the poolroom and gymnasium that had been abolished by orders of council; Slimmons, once the athletic trainer in the public schools before he took so heavily to drink that he had to be let go; and that third man, a stranger whom Hugh believed must be secretly interested in seeing Oakvale’s reform movement slump, perhaps because he had some connection with the interests of those who had been defying the law.
Caught in the act, it was likely to go hard with the three. Gaffney did tell his mates not to open their mouths, but to leave it to him to get them clear. Hugh believed they were leaning on a broken reed if they entertained any hope that political influence was going to keep the outraged law from taking its course. That day had gone for Oakvale, and the degrading elements which such men as Gaffney represented, would have to emigrate to other quarters if they hoped to be able to continue to ply their evil vocations.