ter report it at
once," Harding said quietly.

Eustace raised his wife from her kneeling position.

"You must not come in here now, Jess," he said. "Go and learn, as nearly
as you can, what has been taken from the house. Harding and I must send
word to the head office."

He led her from the room and closed the door after her.

"We shall have to use the code, I suppose," Harding said, as he
returned. "If you will read out the words, I will write them."

Eustace sank into his chair again and sat staring blankly in front of
him.

"Come, come, old chap," Harding exclaimed, as he laid his hand on his
manager's shoulder. "Don't give way. There's a mystery in all this. We
shall want all our wits to clear it up as it is; don't make it worse."

Eustace raised his head.

"But who can have done it, Harding? Who can have done it? Every place
locked up and yet the money has gone! No one knew all that gold was
here."

"You and I knew it."

"My God! You don't mean----" Eustace cried as he sprang out of his
chair. "You don't----"

"Steady, old man, steady. Keep your head. There's nothing to be gained
by getting excited. You and I knew it was here and someone at the head
office knew, as well as the fellows at Wyalla. Some word may have leaked
out while it was on the road. There's no saying off-hand; what we've got
to do is to keep cool and go slow if we're to clear ourselves. I'm as
much concerned in this matter as you are."

Eustace shook his head.

"No, Harding. I'm manager, and all the responsibility is on my
shoulders. Whatever comes to light, I'm ruined. The bank will fire me
out directly they hear of it--and this was my first branch too."

"I would not look at it like that," Harding replied. "No game is lost
till it's won. I'll send Brennan over as I pass the station. He may be
able to throw some light on it. Come. Let us draft the report for the
head office."

But Eustace was too unnerved to render any assistance, and it was
Harding who, single-handed, drafted and coded a brief message reporting
what had been discovered. Not until this message was handed to him did
Eustace move.

"That's my death warrant," he said gloomily as he signed it.

Harding took the message and left the office. The township boasted only
one street, the bank being at one end, the post office at the other.
Midway between the two was the police-station, where the one constable
responsible for the maintenance of law and order within the