ing them with anxious care. But where were my good
resolutions, and what had become of them? Why, they, under the effect of
the wine and the magnetic influence of these three minds, had gone
flying down the bay, and under a favorable gale were fast speeding
seaward beyond the ken of mortal eye, not to be found by me again until
years after, when, with the toils about me, I found myself in Newgate.
Then the fugitives all came back, this time to stay.

My three graces who adorned the Police Department of New York were full
of matter of a new enterprise, which by my co-operation was to make the
fortunes of us all. But they were too evidently anxious, too eagerly
desirous to handle the greenbacks my bills of exchange represented, to
fix their minds upon anything else.

Stanley and White went away together, but first each once more told me
privately that he depended upon me to put in his own hands his share,
showing how these rogues suspected each other, and, indeed, were full of
suspicions of every one and every thing. Irving crossed the ferry with
me, but on the New York side dropped behind, and, although I paid no
more attention to him, no doubt he followed me. The excitement of
success and of being at home again banished any possible regrets or
fears over the course I had entered, and with a light heart and buoyant
step I quickly made my way to a friend of mine, a well-known broker in
New street, shook hands with him, and, telling him, very much to his
surprise, that I had just returned from Europe, asked him to step around
the corner to the office of the bankers and identify me. In a minute we
were there. Indorsing the drafts, I told them to make it in
five-hundreds; they sent out to the bank for them, and I was speedily on
my way to our rendezvous with 160 $500 greenbacks in a roll, and meeting
the three at the wineroom I made their eyes grow big when I flashed the
roll on their delighted orbs. The division was speedily made, I
retaining $10,000 for my share, and each promptly threw out a thousand,
and we shook hands all around and parted.

Here were four conspirators of us, and it was comical to see how anxious
we all were to get away so that each could stow his plunder in a safe
place. For my part I went home, but I shall say nothing of the meeting
with the members of my family. I told them I had made a lot of money in
a speculation, and not knowing the inside history, or suspecting
anything, they rejoiced with me