A WHOLESALE ROBBERY 29 



stopped a little way below our station for the engine to 

 take on water. 



When my conference with the cookee was ended, I 

 called out ray three companions in distress, told them 

 of the boy's disclosures and asked them what they 

 were going to do about the robbery. Larkin led off by 

 saying that nothing could be done that no constable 

 could be found in the county town to serve a warrant, 

 if one was sworn out, and that if one was found brave 

 enough to come up and serve it, then if a search failed 

 to find the booty, we would be in a bad strait, and he 

 for one wouldn't be a party to any plan to arrest the 

 five men on the simple say-so of a youth of eighteen. 

 The other two men concurred in Larkin's decision. 



I then told them that I had a different idea and 

 should act upon it, and asked their aid and cooperation 

 in carrying it out. The plan was that I should board 

 an Empire Line freight at the water tank, explaining 

 the situation to the train crew ; go down to the county 

 court and swear out a warrant for four of the men 

 the youth was a bit doubtful about one of them being 

 implicated in the robbery ; get a constable to come 

 with me to serve the warrant ; obtain a permit to ride 

 on an Empire Line train back again, and if necessary 

 to flag one of the same line on the down trip the fol- 

 lowing morning if we succeeded in taking the four men 

 as prisoners. This my companions agreed to, and they 

 also promised to be waiting in some hidden place for a 



