and that, but writing is evidence. Do you get
me? And what evidence has Crotin? Absolutely none. I have never written
a line to him in my life. Crewe brought him down to the flat. We gave
him a dinner and put the proposal to him in plain language. There's
nothing he could take before a judge and jury--absolutely nothing."

He took the cigar from his mouth and blew a cloud of smoke.

"That's the way I've built the business up--no letters, no documents,
nothing that a lawyer can make head or tail of."

"What about the documents that Hanson talked about?"

The colonel frowned and then laughed.

"They're nothing but records of our transactions, and they're not
evidence. Why, even the police have given up the search for them. By the
way, I haven't done with Crotin," he said after a while.

"He's done with you, I should think," said Pinto grimly.

The colonel nodded.

"I guess so, but he hasn't done with the gang. You can take him on
next."

"I?" said Pinto in affright. "Now look here, colonel, don't you think
it's time we laid low----"

"Laid low!" said the colonel scornfully. "We're either going to get into
trouble or we're not. If we're not going to get into trouble, we might
as well go on. Besides, we want the money. The business has slackened
off, and we haven't had a deal since the Spillsbury affair, and that
won't last very long. We've got to split our loot six ways, Pinto, and
that leaves very little for anybody."

"Where are you going now?" asked the other, as the colonel changed his
direction.

"It just struck me that we might as well go over to the bank and see
how our balance stands. Also, with the exchange going against us, I want
to tell Ferguson to buy dollars."

The handsome premises of the Victoria and City Bank in Victoria Street
were only a stone's throw from the park; and, whatever might be the
views of Ferguson, the manager, as to the colonel's moral character, he
had a considerable respect for him as a financier, and Dan Boundary was
shown immediately into the manager's office.

He was gone some time, whilst Pinto waited impatiently outside. The
colonel never invited other members, even of the inmost council, to
share his knowledge of finances. They all knew roughly the condition of
the exchequer, but really the balance at the Victoria and City was the
colonel's own. It was the practice of the Boundary Gang (as was
subsequently revealed) to share, after each coup, every man taking that