The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-07-25

Ia n pcrtect stranger with such entire cOmpos
Undetermined the notes into the lnper Dreas,
pocket of my coat-buttoned the coat up ahu
stepped with sensation OF even increased
inheritance into the street. had sometimes
been worth robbng for short period but
felt now like worth numbering AS | passed
along court into Cornhill and so across the
road. gazing right and left tor cab,
Certainly there were more people IMAM
had ever seen there before, and they moved
about more slowly. The large open space IN
front Of the Royal Exchange was literally
filled Endeavoring to make my way through
I fond the mass increase in density, until at
Hast was fixed like a whaer in an ice now
amidst a motionless crowd, evidently gather
ed for some purpose
What was il all about? A voice, the owner
of which was INVISIBLE, revealed the "hole
mystery oou,,,,
"Onc penny the 'ole professionalism ave
the Lord Mayors Show for penny
OF course the Lord Mayors show was In
November, and | had Int upon the very day
No doubt it would pass thai way presently,
and should have a chance OF seeing II /!
could only edge little nearer to the front
| II would have been better II hau not much
money about me, but that could not DC helpeu
now, and no one knew IT,
| InllS IlattcTCu SCH 1T lilst, uut PA'',iiN
lv did not feel so sure of the same desirable
ignorance Oh the part of my neighbors
Where had those men all about me come
from? Stray glimpses OF such beings had
sometimes caught, bus here was swarm OF
them. Were they the precocious boys, iorc.
ed in hotbeds Of vice. or gin stunted men
They were small and lean, but seemed to ex
meet to grow, for their clothes were made for
average sized adults. Tney were unkempt
sallow, and very dirty. Their gait was
slouchlng, and so far they were not unlike
certain class of professional beggars, for
whom, however, they could not be easily mis-
taken-The mendicant wears conventional
piteous mask, which is SO obviously mask
for auy one who can observe it all, that he can
see that the fellow makes grimace (of spite
| if he refuses, of derision il he give the mo
ment his back is turned. But these men had
vicious, side glancing eyes; earnest lines
scanning their features; cruel relentless
mouths. There was that look about them
which characterizes the beast Of prey when
hunted in his turn-a look Of cunning and
hatred The motto stamped upon them seem
ed to be-"A short life and hunted one,
with one spring for revenge" did not sus-
pest; was certain that they were thieves,
and | could hardly doubt but what they were
thus collected together, to the neglect OF pri-
vate enterprise amongst the watches and
purses of the crowd. for some very special
purpose.
When it first occurred to me that | might
have been watched receiving the money, and
followed, ] tried quietly to withdraw 1t
looked easy enough, for the beings who ex'
cited my suspicious were after all but a small
knot comparatively, and beyond them on all
sides seethed mob of roughs, who were not
clean or beautiful indeed, but who in all
probability were not criminals. However,
directly my intentions became manifest, a
man hustled me, and Immediately shouted
out
Where you showing to-"
Second thief: who are you, | should
like to know"
First thief "Hc thinks himself a [un-
pleasant term meaning very great swell,
aknocking blokes about"
At this point unpleasant terms overpOwercd
coherency Of speech The policy OF the
thieves was sound. BY raising the shibbo-
leth of class prejudice they had enlisted the
sympathies of the roughs, and found my
self in position The most trying TO the nerves
of any have ever experienced. To stand in
the midst of a threatening crowd, and see
nothing but angry faces glowering at you, if
ever you have fever years after.
No doubt the police sometimes exceed
their duty, but ever since that day | have
felt inclined to make very great allowance
for them; and it irrtates me to hear them vii
lied and caricatured, for my position that
DAY +, theirs always too had laughed at
them, but would have given something for
glimpse Of a broad pair of shoulders clad
in blue a, that moment. Fortunately | kept
M .e.Lpt- and presence of mind
TliaOg. anwcring, without trying to rush,
pressed steadily on through the surround
lng mass Buitoning my frock coat still
closer nov kept my arms low with the ell
bows square and the fists Cenchcd, guarding
that region OF the waist SO exposed to Il disab-
ling blow, and expecting attack; for do what
would, | could not get rid of the thieves
who clustered around me. Presently one of
them spraug at me and made a snatch at my
brea5t.pin Beng tall, | WAS able TO foil
him; but the effort acted as a signal, and
was assaulted on all sides efforts being made
to tear my coat open.
At this critical moment | saw an omnibus
on the edge of the crowd, and about ten
yards of, stationary, evidently drawn up as
stand point TO see the procession form; and
on the roof were party OF soldiers, with
white bands round their caps.
"COldstrcams to the rescue" | shouted
as loudly as could, forcing my way towards
them The cry arrested their notice.
| "Don't let me be robbed under your eyes,
| cried.
From this perch they were able to see what
was going on, and down they came in
twinkling There was surging and much
swearing: the dense rim of the crowd separ.
ated and fellow whose hand was on my
collar went down before the flash OF red
arm as though he had been struck by bat
tering ram.
The guardSmen made no arrests, but they
cut me out and bore me back to the omnibus
in IA twinkling. | had lost my hat, my clothes
were torn-but the roll of bank notes was
safe, also my watch. The rogues had not
even got my scarf pin, nor were even my per
lsOuai injuries worth Mentioning few
bruises and scratch, that was all The
guardsmen were Immensely delighted With
half a sovereign for bcer-surely as small n
salvage as has often been paid, especially as
they lost their show, for the procession pass
ed during the rescue