Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-12-17
A Narrow Escape.

A WRITER in LippincoH relates the fol-
lowing dangerous adventure which befeI
him on q trip to England. He was walk
| ing along the Strand, in London, when
| low, pleasant voice said In his ear:
g Don't look behind, sir"
Presently again: IF you want some
very fine cigars, very cheap, follow me-
| In few moments square-shouldered,
decently-dressed man passed before me
and crossed the street; so did l. He
walked on considerable distance; SO
did /. He entered narrow, dark alley;
so did I. After variety of turnings and
windings toward the very worst part OF
tina town, through region of sqnalid
misery and Presidential air, he turned
into gin-palace; so did /. My silent
pilot, without turning his head, crossed
the gin-palace, passed out in the rear,
made his way rapidly along a gloomy,
solitary court, entered a dirty, dismal
looking, unfinished room, and out of
that into another; so did l. We were
now in 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 think what a foolish thing
was doing
"Now, sirw 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 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" manning son of one of
the leading members of the British House
of Commons) "has just bought for fifty
pounds"
Fifty pounds!" exclaimed l. "My
good fellow, don't want fifty pounds
worth of cigars. I'll take hundred, or,
If you like, two hundred, but shan't
take any more"
The man looked at me with very Gu
rious expression in his bad, ugly face,
and pressed his lips hard together like
one who has difficulty to control fierce
gust of passion. Then he answered:
aye don't think / brought ye here, and
exposed myself and my den to We (for We
must know we're smugglers), only to sell
we shillin's worth of cigars, do yeg If
ye're gentleman, as supposed ye was,
yell take enough to pay for trouble and
risk. II ye don't like cigars" said he,
perhaps yell take some other goods"
! With sudden energetic movement he
| threw up a trap-door at my feet. l
looked into it. Black as midnight. A
most cheerful object under the circum-
stances 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 | charge"
| Magnificent" exclaimed /, with
affected admiration, for was not con-
templating the elegant articles, but my
own elegant position. perceived was
not only in smugglers' den, but in q
robbers cave. What was to do? What
ever did | must do quickly. While he
arranged the wares for my inspection |
measured his proportions. He was far
more than match for me. Besides, had
| / 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 whistle would no
doubt bring to his assistance accom-
plices as irresistible If not as numerous
as the army of Rodeiick Dhu; and even
a bearer of dispatches in that case would
be handled rather roughly. ! saw but
| one course, and that doubtful and danger
GUS, hut the only one my imprudence had
| left me.
We'll, old fellow" said I, with famil-
lar air, 6 tell you what, such chance
does not come every day. If you'll give
me one of those articles cheap enough to
enable me to make real profit, I'll take
! something"
cob" said he, "ye shall have 'em just
as cheap as Dirt only We must pay before
/ we leave the room"
"Well" said |. "let us see il we can
strike bargain. Unfold that shawl;
hold it up SO that can see it,
He held the shawl broadly up with
both hands, his face and half his body
hidden behind it.
"Splendidr' said /. Hold it higher.
Farther back, SO that the light can fall
on it. Now, what's the damage"
/ " It's worth three hundred pounds, /
give we the honor of a gentleman. Ye
shall have 1t for fifty pounds
"Hold it little farther back" said l.
cts worth the money, and I'll tell you
what I'll take; I'll take my leaDe'
/ dashed to the door. IL was not
locked 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 skim
ming DER the unbending corn, got over
the ground much faster than / as |
leaped across that gloomy court, burst
into the gin-palace and out of it again
and winged my breathless and inglorious
flight away from my pursuer, whose
tread could hear approaching nearer
and nearer behind me- BY what heaven
ly instinct, by what unseen guidance, /
threaded that dark, filthy and not very
nice-smelling labyrinth of turnings and
windings know not, but ! did thread
it, and suddenly found myself in one of
the open, respectable streets. The tread
of my pursuer ceased; was safe!
Children's Fashions.