The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-08-23
HUNTED DOWN.


HUNTED DOWN.
ThA Bank Robber and the Detective.
As naturally as steel needle flies TO
magnet, SO have / felt always ready
to hurry to the aid of a lady i'm distress.
l do not say it vauniingly, nor put ii
iorward as a virtue, for the act has
. generally been involuntary; and SO ii
was one day last year, when, having
seen my small quantity of personal
luggage on board the great screw liner
lying at the wharf getting up her
steam, ready for her race across the
Atlantic, was loafiDg about, watch
ing with considerable amusement the
arrival OF passengers, for the most part
excited, worried, and the prey of por-
tiers and cabmen, who seem to be
troubled with no more perfections in
Liverpool than in the metropolis. A
lighted cigar was between my lips,
and was trying to enjoy it-for Judging
from old experience of my sensations
In rough sea, / did not anticipate
much comfort for the next two or three
days, at the least-when very ordin-
ary looking man, evidently a CONNER
cial traveller, walked up and asked me
SO offensive manDer. that as I hand
ed my cigar 1 glanced down at his LEFT
hand, to see that it was not meddling
with my watch chain.
Looks like commercial, but MAJ
be pickpocket," said-mentally of
course while he pufTed at his 'agar.
putting mine out in the process,
"GOing across ?'i he said abruptly.
and to use what would prc.oably have
been bis expression, talliLg stock of me
the while.
"Sirw
"Going across the pond, Helvellyn ?v
he said again, coolly, and noddinS his
head iowa rd the great steaming and
snOrting vessel.
my .aigar-thanks !" 1 said, in a
tone meant to be perfectly Belgravian
in its haU teur, as / turned aside; for
had met the appeal of pair of dark
eyes-a lady was i'm distress, and, be-
tween porters and baggage, apparently
perfec' 'Jy bewildered.
Are you going ON board 2" I asked.
ny es, o yes" said the owner of the
eyes, eagerly. "Are you connected
with the steamer, sir?'
''Er-no, not exactly,n said, taken
somewhat aback; and / felt somewhat
disposed to say: "DO L look as il /
WASP" "Allow me, though-these
menlu
"Yes, yes" said the lady, "they ask
six shil:ings for bringing my luggage
from the station. 1t is correct ?n
"Absurd! No" said, "half a crown
is ample" And espousIng the lady's
cause, dismissed. the ravenous mon
sters who prey upon the unprotected,
and then sent her luggage on board
the Helvellyn, casting more than one
glance aside to see that my new ac-
quaintance was tall, with handsome,
well-marked features, very lady-like
and dressed i'm the first fashion.
"Seens Odd," thought, "traveling
quite alone. Strong minded woman,
perhaps"
But this latter thought was set aside
the next moment as l handed her
along the gangway; for there was a
quiet, earnest, trusting look in her
dark eyes; and the answers she gave
to my entreaties that she would not be
alarmed at the rushiDg water, the un-
easy motion OF the steamer, and the
pushing, excited crowd, was grateful
in the extreme. 1 felt flattered, and
not at all sorry that such companion
was to share my voyage.
ut you world lead me to the cabin,
where could see the stewardess,n she
said, and 1 immediately handed her to
the saloon. door, where she turned
frankly, to hold out well gloved
though rather large hand. ~ am, in
deed, mucn obliged; L am obliged to
travel alone, but my husband will
meet me on landing at New York,
and he will, / know, be extremely
grateful for your kindness"
The next moment / was standing
alone, confOunding her husband, and
to fate to know why another
should have first seen and secured
about the only woman who seemed
likely to form an agreeable sharer of
my pilgrimage through life.
Nice to be a young, smart-loOking
fellow,p said voice; and turning,
there stood the bagman, putting away
at his cigar and staring ut me with all
his might, though, probably, from
business habit, he was referring from
time to time TO pocket-book he held
i'm his hands. "Now, yop know, /
never make an impression like that on
a lady. L never find the sex asking
my protection, and all that sort OF
thing. Very nice, though, l should
think, isn't it?'
he accompanied his last words with
the slightest approach to a wink, and
closing the book, he poked me with it
in the side, when L felt SO annoyed
that L argrily turned my heel and
walked to the side, watching the arrival
OF late passengers, but, to my great
dlsgust, he followed me, and, needless
Cf my frowning looks, continued his
scrutiny.
1 tried very hard to get rid of him;
but snubbing was thrown away. Ap-
parently he could not understand that
his conduct was obtrusive: and at last.
making virtue of necessity, l suffer-
ed him, and he literally hooked him.
self on to me.
But all the time he seemed to have
q shrewd business eye; and while care
fully Keeping close to me, he scrutin-
lied all who came on board, till the
time for starting had arrived. The
cables were cast loose, the screws re-
volved slowly, then stopped, then re-
volved again, and the vessel began
grandly to move forward, the passen-
gers waving their adieus as they clus-
tered by the side. Then once more
the bagman stared me full in the Fl ce,
looking undecided, walked through
the throng on deck, got in the sailors
way, stared in face after face, as dog
would who sought his master, and
then, in the same undecided manner,
returned to me aud stopped by my
side, as if about to speak but directly
after he checked himself and drew out
another cigar.
1 walked away, for now, closely
veiled, L had seen the figure OF my
lady friend emerging from the saloon
door, and upon my going up and ask
ing concerning her welfare, she made
no demur about taking my arm and
walking up and down the deck. did
not believe that there would be any |
husband awaiting her upon the quay |
at New York, and that after all, it was |
but a bold subterfuge by which sim
gle and unprotected woman wished to |
shroud herself i'm the respect paid to |
the married of her sex.
That she was respectable was un-
doubted; but there was timid shrink |
ing way about her, SO different from
the calm, quiet, self-possession of a
lady, and felt assured that no |
one whose husband awaited her upOn