With astonishment they saw him pass through
the usually guarded door and disappear. Presently he emerged with
two sacks.
"Robert and Benito, take these to the bank," he whispered. "The watchmen
there will give you the equivalent in gold bars to bring back." He
turned to Harpending and Dore. "I'll have yours ready in a minute." Once
more he vanished within.
Robert picked up the bag allotted to him. It was very heavy. As he
lifted it to his shoulder, the contents clinked.
"Gold coin," said his father, significantly.
"What if we're caught?" asked the boy, half fearfully. Ralston,
reappearing, heard the question.
"You won't be," he said. "I've attended to that."
His assurance proved correct. All night the four men toiled between the
Mint and the Bank of California sweating, puffing, fatigued to the brink
of exhaustion. With the first streak of dawn, Ralston dismissed them.
"You've brought five ton of gold coin to the vault," he said, his eyes
agleam. "You've saved San Francisco the worst financial panic that ever
a short-sighted federal government unwittingly precipitated." Suddenly
he laughed and threw his arms wide. "At ten o'clock the frightened sheep
will come running for their deposits.
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