"Want me to do the blowing?" asked Nick.

Handsome nodded.

"All right," said Nick. "Light out, then."

"But----"

"Get out, I say. If I do the blowing I'm boss for the time being. Git!"

They did; and again, with the implements and the explosives at hand,
Nick went to work; and, as before he worked rapidly and well--as if he
were an experienced hand at that sort of employment.

And then, when the charge was ready, Nick pulled up the heavy rope
matting from the floor, and after doubling it again and again until
there was a huge wad of it, he braced it with desks and chairs against
the front of the safe; and when all that was done to his satisfaction,
he lighted the fuse, and ran back to the rear hallway, where the others
were watching and waiting.

They had not long to wait after that. There was a lapse of perhaps a
minute and a half, and then a dull, booming roar shook the building, and
the burglars rushed forward.

Now was the time when they were compelled to work rapidly, if ever.

It was true that Nick had so muffled the sound of the explosion that it
was hardly possible that the noise of it had roused anybody at all; but
there was always a chance of somebody near at hand being wakeful or
watchful.

At any moment they might be interrupted--and no burglar likes to be
interrupted. It always means a fight, in which somebody is likely to get
killed, and burglars rarely do any killing unless they have to in order
to escape.

They rushed forward together; but now Nick purposely kept in the
background. He had no idea of being taken himself if they should be
interrupted; nor did he wish to give his companions an opportunity to
kill any person who might interrupt them. It was all right from his
standpoint to participate in the burglary, in order that he might
ultimately catch all the thieves; but he did not wish to be a party to
any fight that might come of it.

But he was made to hold one of the bags while Handsome filled it from
the inside of the safe.

They pried open the inner compartments, and threw them indiscriminately
upon the floor as soon as they were emptied; they jimmied open the steel
boxes as readily as if they had been made of softest pine--and in twenty
minutes after the explosion they were stealthily climbing the fence
again, into the courthouse yard.

And, so far as they could see, not a soul in the village had been
awakened or alarmed.

They returned to the shed, where they had left