“No!” replied Howden. “It is likely to be a chase over the ranges.”
They saddled their horses and lined up on each side of the Police Chief, who immediately started off.
“Cattle thieves?” asked Jim.
“Worse’n that! The Commercial Bank’s been broken into, the safe blowed up and every blamed bill in the institootion pinched.”
“Well, I’ll be-darned!”
“Just our blasted luck, too!” said Howden quickly and in excitement as they trotted on, “Jamieson, my deputy, is in Vancouver, sick; Hardie went to Kamloops yesterday with a couple of prisoners. There is hardly a real policeman in town,––only me, Downie and McConnachie.
“The Mayor left on the train two days ago for the Coast.
“Downie, who for once wasn’t boozed, noticed someone slip over the back window at the Bank. There were half a dozen of them in the lane, he says. He couldn’t do a thing but watch. Three of them took off by the B.X. way on horseback; two of them made for the Coldcreek Road, and the other two made for the Okanagan Landing. Downie thinks there is another, but he isn’t sure.”
“Where are they all now?” asked Jim.