PINNACLE BOOKS NEW YORK by Unknown Read Free Book Online

ferred
the gold from the boxcar and made their escape."
    "Aided,
I judge," mused Holmes, "by the fact that it
took some time to discover how they made use of the
abandoned spur line."
    "That
did slow up the pursuit," said Frisbee. "As soon
as the robbery was made known to the engine driver
and fireman, the locomotive went into reverse and there were
signals all up and down the line. By the time they reached the
station between the scene of the robbery
and London, it was obvious that the
missing boxcar had not come that way.
Then someone recalled the old spur line, and the
local constables, augmented by railway police, hurried back to it. By
that time the wagon and the hijackers
were long gone. Neighboring villages were
alerted but nothing came of it."
    Holmes
had taken his cherrywood from the mantle
and stuffed it with shag. Now he ignited it and puffed furiously.
"Anyone," he said finally, "who could plan a theft so
meticulously would not leave the
disposition of the loot to chance."
    He
resumed his seat in the cane-back, gazing into the
embers of the hearth fire. "See how they chose the place to
strike. An upgrade, which would slow down
the engine, but more important, bring the law
of gravity into play. The rate of acceleration of the
stolen boxcar had to be judged carefully. Too fast
and it would derail itself. Too slow and it might not
gain the momentum to carry it to the spur line and beyond. You did
indicate that the railway car was found some distance from the main
line, did you not?" he asked of
Frisbee.
    The
banker nodded.
    Holmes
laid aside his pipe, and I sensed that he would
embark on one of the recapitulations that he found
so helpful. I was right. "Two men
at least reached the roof of the first boxcar.
You mentioned smoke bombs, so I assume they
were thrust through the rifle slots of the mobile
blockhouse simultaneously and from both sides."
    Again
Frisbee agreed.
    "With
the riflemen temporarily out of action, they
made their way to the rear of the boxcar and lowered themselves to
disengage their prize from the rest of
the train. Having uncoupled the connec tion,
no difficult feat, they were now rolling down grade
with the freed bullion carrier. What would have
been their next move?"
    Frisbee
had a ready answer. "An iron ladder
would allow them to gain the roof. It
seems likely that they used it to arrive above
the sliding door to the boxcar. One must have
lowered the other down the side of the moving car
to attack the door's fastening."
    "By
what means?" queried the sleuth.
    "Cold
chisel."
    "Which
requires a hammer. Which indicates two free
hands, so the man was lowered by rope."
    "I
would think so," stated Frisbee. "By the time the
boxcar had rolled off the main line, the job was probably
complete and they were ready to unload."
    "Aided
by the third man," said Holmes.
    "Where
did he come from?" I asked.
    Holmes
patiently explained. "As soon as the treasure train passed the
spur line, someone had to be there to
activate the switch so the boxcar would leave
the main line on its return trip. Then the third
man closed the switch and took after the boxcar,
on foot, I would imagine. By the time the boxcar
came to a stop, the third man was available to aid in the unloading.
One does not move a half million in gold
in but a moment."
    "Might
there not have been more robbers involved?" I asked. It
seemed a reasonable question.
    "Not
it I were planning it," said Holmes. "The more
tongues, the more talk."
    Again
I blessed providence that my friend had not
been born with a larcenous twist in his great brain.
Had this been so, surely he would have made the
infamous exploits of the late Professor Moriarty seem
like something out of Alice in
Wonderland.
    Frisbee
was eyeing my friend shrewdly. "Inspector
Stanley Hopkins was rushed to the scene
from the Yard."
    Holmes
smiled. "Our friend Lestrade will be much
put out I'm sure."
    Frisbee
continued: "Hopkins followed your line of
thought regarding a member of the gang being