Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 September 1875 — A Narrow Escape. [ARTICLE]

A Narrow Escape.

A w’rithr in Lippincott relates the following dangerous adventure which befell him on a trip to England. He was walking along the Strand, in London, when a low, pleasant voice said in his ear: “ Don’t look behind, sir!” Presently again: “If you want some very fine cigars, very cheap, follow me.” In a few moments a square-shouldered, decently-dressed man passed before me and crossed the street; so did I. He walked on a considerable distance; so did I. He entered a narrow, dark alley; so did I. After a variety of turnings and windings toward the very worst part of the town, through a region of squalid misery and pestilential air, he turned into a gin-palace; so did I. My silent pilot, without turning his Head, crossed the gin-palace, passed out iu the rear, made his way rapidly along a gloomy, solitary court, entered a dirty, dismallooking, unfurnished room, and out of that into another; so did I. We were now in a small, dark chamber, with only one window- two feet square and ten or twelve from the floor, so that nobody could look in or out.

Strange as it may seem, not till this moment did I think what a foolish thing I was doing. “ Now-, sir!” said my new friend, as he unlocked a large closet crammed with ample provision of cigar-boxes. “Just look at them cigars! They’re the best in the whole world, and at the lowest prices. Seven and a half pounds. Seven pounds. Six pounds. Ye can’t get them cigars anywhere in the whole United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland without paying twice as much. Mr. So-and-so’’ (naming a son of one of the leading members of the British House of Commons) “has just bought for fifty pounds.” “Fifty pounds!” exclaimed I. “My good fellow, I don’t want fifty pounds’ w-orth of cigars. I’ll take a hundred, or, if you like, two hundred, but* I shan’t take any more.” The man looked at me with a very curious expression in his bad, ugly face, and pressed his lips hard together like one w-ho has difficulty to control a fierce gust of passion. Then he answered: “Ye don’t think I brought ye here, and exposed myself and my den to ye (for ye must know we’re smugglers), only to sell ye a shillin’s worth of cigars, do ye? If ye’re a gentleman, as I supposed ye was, ye’ll take enough to pay for trouble and risk. If ye don’t like cigars,”, said he, “ perhaps ye’ll take some other goods.” With a sudden energetic movement he threw up a trap-door at my feet. I looked into it. Black as mianight. A most cheerful object under the circumstances. He stepped down and instantly rose again with an armful of articles. “Camel-hair shawls,” said he —“real cashmere India shawls, both sides alike. Brussels lace, velvets, jewelry. Ye can sell any o’ them articles for three times what I “Magnificent!” exclaimed I, with affected admiration, for 1 was not contemplating the elegant articles, but my own elegant position. I perceived I was not only in a smugglers’ den, but in a robbers’ cave. What was Ito do? Whatever 1 did I must do quickly. While he arranged the wares for my inspection I measured his proportions. He was far more than a match for me. Besides, had I been strong enough and bold enough to spring upon him or to attempt to knock him down that trap-door with any chance of success, a cry or a whistle would no doubt bring to his assistance accomplices as irresistible if not as numerous as the army of Roderick Dhu; and even a bearer of dispatches in that ease would be handled rather roughly. I saw but one course, and that doubtful and dangerous, but the only one my imprudence had left me.

“ Well, old fellow,” said I, with a familiar air, “ I tell you what, such a chance does not come every day. If you’ll give me one of those articles cheap enoqgb to enable me to make a real profit, I’ll take something.” “ Oh,” said he, “ ye shall have ’em just as cheap as dirt; only ye must pay before ye leave the room.” “Well," said I, “ let us see if we can strike a bargain. Unfold that shawl; hold it up so that I can see it.” He held the shawl broadly up with both hands, his face and half his body hidden behind it. “Splendid!” said I. “ Hold it higher. Farther back, so that the light can fall on it. Now, what’s the damage?” “ It’s worth three hundred pounds, I give ye the honor of a gentleman. Ye shall have it for fifty pounds.” “Hold it a little farther back,” said I. “ It’s worth the money, and I’ll tell you what I’ll take; I’ll take—my lam!' K I dashed to the door. It was not locked. I slammed it to after me and flew on my way. Not Byron’s steed, the “Tartar of the Ukraine breed,” with Mazeppa on his back, not Camilla skimming o’er the unbending corn, got over the ground much faster than I as I leaped acrqss that gloomy court, burst into the gin-palace and oat of it again and winged my breathless and inglorious flight, away from my pursuer, whose tread I could hear approaching nearer and nearer behind me. By what heavenly instinct, by what unseen guidance, I threaded that dark, filthy and not very nice-smelling labyrinth of turnings and windings I know not, but I did thread it, and suddenly found myself in one of the open, respectable streets. The tread of my pursuer ceased; I was safe!