First Great Train Robbery, The Page #4

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- That's right.

- You came alone?

- Yes, as you instructed.

- Everything the same on the railway line?

- All the same.

Then it'll be tomorrow.

- What'll be tomorrow?

- Never you mind. Here's 100 quid for you.

Look the other way and shut your mouth.

- Right?

- Right, sir.

Now, off you go and don't look back.

Get a bowl of water in there.

Put it in the corner, over there.

As far away from me as you can.

- He's pretty heavy, ain't he?

- Pretty hungry too.

Sorry, sir.

No one's allowed to ride in the van.

I've got to accompany the animal.

It's very valuable.

He gets upset if I'm not with him.

Yeah, very well.

Doesn't care for travel.

- You mean it's to be you?

- Aye.

Where'd you make them impressions?

They keep all them keys separate.

- Do they?

- Aye, they do.

How'd you pull 'em?

With incredible skill.

The next gold shipment is in a week.

This time we take it.

Agar will replace the gold

with these lead bars

and throw the bags

from the train at Romney,

where Barlow will collect them

and then drive to Folkestone.

Where will we be?

In a first-class compartment

enjoying the journey.

What happens afterward?

We divide the gold as agreed.

After that.

- After that?

- Yes, after that.

You and I will go to Paris.

You have it all worked out.

We ride on the train and they do the work.

They have to earn their share, don't they?

It's all very smooth.

Unless something goes wrong.

What could go wrong?

My dear Mr Simms.

As your humble servant,

I would be greatly obliged and indebted

if you could contrive to meet with me

at the Palace, Sydenham

for the purpose...

For the purpose...

For the purpose

of discussing some matters of...

mutual interest.

Most respectfully,

William Williams, Esquire.

That should do it.

Well now, Willy...

What's this fellow Simms up to, eh?

Please, sir, I can't tell you.

Should have thought of that before

we caught you with this purse.

I don't want to go back to prison, sir.

Well, then. Better tell us.

I don't know, sir. I told you.

All's I know is that he's a cracksman

planning a flash pull, he is.

The letter will put you on to him.

We'll see.

They'll kill me, they will.

Then see you aren't running off again, eh?

We'll have a look

at this mysterious Mr Simms.

Don't turn round, Willy.

- Now, what is it?

- I'm needing a bit, Mr Simms.

- You've been paid.

- I'm needing more.

- You been working, Willy?

- No!

- Did the crushers pick you up?

- I swear it, no!

- Willy, if you've turned nose on me...

- I swear it's no flam.

A finny or two's what I need

and that'll be an end to it.

There's a finny in your pocket.

You're sweating.

If you've turned nose on me,

I'll see you in lavender.

Not me, sir. I swear.

Three crushers.

Edward! Edward Pierce.

Edward, we were wondering

what had become of you.

I got married.

Must dash.

- Do you think he's in trouble?

- Wouldn't surprise me.

Very rough man. Not a good sort at all.

- So, the snakesman is dead.

- I'm afraid so, sir.

- And this fellow Simms has vanished?

- Yes, sir.

And we don't know who he is

or what he intends?

- We are entirely without clues.

- No, not entirely.

We know Simms arranged for Clean Willy

to break from Newgate some months ago.

- So it's a long-standing plan.

- A plan we don't know.

Quite. But we do know Simms is

a safecracker. He must be after safes.

And Willy broke into the dispatcher's

office of the South Eastern Railway Line.

And it occurred to me, could this Simms

be planning to steal the Crimean gold?

Steal from a moving railway train?

Who could imagine such a thing?

The next gold shipment is tomorrow.

I've alerted the railway line

to take extra precautions.

- What's this?

- Precautions, sir.

I will ride the train to Folkestone tonight.

I shall be there tomorrow

in case there's any tomfoolery

when the gold arrives.

- Very enterprising of you.

- Thank you, sir.

We've made new security

arrangements throughout.

New lock.

New guard, just in case they do have

the audacity to try for the Crimean gold.

Excellent foresight, Mr Sharp.

I must commend you

on your attention in this matter.

We certainly wouldn't

want to lose that gold.

It's all changed. Everything.

Everything's changed.

No one's allowed to ride in the luggage

van save Burgess himself as guard.

And they've got a new jack

on the platform

who opens all parcels

large enough for a man to hide in.

And if that ain't bad enough, they've gone

and fitted a lock on the luggage van door.

They're locking it at the station and not

opening it until it gets to Folkestone.

A precautionary measure.

All on account of the gold.

Bloody outside lock!

It can't be worked from within.

Even if I was to be able to

get inside the van

I'd be locked inside there

until it gets into Folkestone.

And who do you think's behind all this?

Only the crushers theirselves, that's who.

Two plainclothes jacks were there,

saying as how a Mr Simms

was planning to rob the Crimean gold.

They don't have a high opinion of your

intelligence. But they credit your nerve.

And they've put crushers on every station

on the line and at Folkestone.

So. Here we are.

Burgess is no use. I can't get into the van

because of that jack opening everything.

Even if I could, I couldn't get the gold out

as the door's locked from the outside.

So what's it to have four keys, I ask you?

Four keys or 40 keys -

it don't make no bloody difference!

It's a waste, the whole thing.

And nothing to be done about it.

All on account of they found you out,

Mr Edward bloody Simms Pierce!

That was something you didn't think of.

What have you got to say about that?

Find me a dead cat.

Now then, missy, now then.

Oh, please, sir, can you help me?

The man is a heartless beast, he is.

- What man?

- That guard upon the line, sir.

He will not let me

set my dear brother on the train.

He says it must be...

opened!

Why... the cruel rogue.

We'll have your brother on the train.

There's...

no need to open it.

I see you have a Bateson's belfry here.

Oh, yes, sir.

Me brother, he was terrible afraid of being

buried alive, so here's the safety.

Very thoughtful, I'm sure.

Just you dry your eyes. All will be well.

Thank you, sir.

I'll just... get this business finished.

- How could you be so cruel?

- I only told her the new rules.

- All containers to be opened.

- Yes, I know.

Do you smell it? I think in this case

we can make an exception.

Whatever you say.

- Nephew.

- Uncle.

Nephew...

Mind your duties. Open every parcel

and make no exception.

Yes, Uncle.

- What's that ungodly stink?

- The...

- Scheduled for the morning train?

- Yes, Uncle.

- See that you open it.

- But Uncle...

No stomach for it, eh?

Dear God, you're a delicate one.

All right, I'll do it myself.

For opened it must be.

My dear brother. Richard, he lives!

He lives. Oh, he's alive!

Oh, make haste. He's alive.

Oh, praise God, he's alive!

Hurry! Lest we are too late.

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