There he dismounted and left his horse standing with the

bridle reins dragging upon the ground, while he removed the

lariat from the pommel of the saddle, and, stuffing it inside his

shirt, walked back to the street on which the building stood,

and so made his way past the sentry and to his room.

Here he pushed back the bed which he had drawn over the

hole in the floor, dropped his two sacks through into the

bank, and tying the brace to one end of the lariat lowered it

through after the sacks.

Looping the middle of the lariat over a bedpost Billy

grasped both strands firmly and lowered himself through the

aperture into the room beneath. He made no more noise in

his descent than he had made upon other similar occasions in

his past life when he had practiced the gentle art of

porch-climbing along Ashland Avenue and Washington Boulevard.

Having gained the floor he pulled upon one end of the

lariat until he had drawn it free of the bedpost above, when

it fell into his waiting hands. Coiling it carefully Billy placed it

around his neck and under one arm. Billy, acting as a

professional, was a careful and methodical man. He always saw that

every little detail was properly attended to before he went on

to the next phase of his endeavors. Because of this ingrained

caution Billy had long since secured the tops of the two sacks

together, leaving only a sufficient opening to permit of their

each being filled without delay or inconvenience.

Now he turned his attention to the rear door. The bar and

bolts were easily shot from their seats from the inside, and

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