The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-09-04
tai photocrapbs az the two men.

w ~~S E~SAO az SA~O 1891
will see that we have scented the
game
"And you,' 1 said, how will you
act?'
"T shall travel to Liverpool by the
night express
"He then left me. l had no fear
woodworking him to be q clever
and determined fellow.
taking casual glance across the
road, / saw my man and his compan-
ion. It was quite evident that they
were tracking me, though | lost sight
of them before reaching St. Paul's.
~ strolled along the graveyard,
wandered nearly to Islington, the9
went through the city again before
made for the station; my acqualn'
lance of the billiard room did not
come in sight, though I kept well on
the alert.
II took my ticket, lingering almost
to the moment of starting before l
entered the carriage, but my man did
not appear. Two men were IN the
compartment with me, could not
see the face Of one, and the other was
a stranger.
"The guard had just time to put a
bewildered old gentleman by my side,
and we we're off.
"The man whose face / had not
seen turned toward me.
81 could hardly repress an eXcla
nation. There was no mlstaklng
that frank, genial countenance. nor
the lurking devil in those eyes, whose
softness was so sinister.
Gle had me at last. Vixen had
broken his promise, and | was left to
travel that perllous journey alone,
with the man that had followed me
so skillfully-another who might be
his confederate, and an old gentle
man, who after grumbling out his in
dignation against all railroad servants
and locomotive travelling in general,
was fast asleep in the corner.
"That the intentions Of my billiard
player were bad was made manifest
by the fact of his having assumed a
false moustache and beard. They add
ed to the beauty Of his face, but left
to his eyes that leepy, cruel glitter
that is charaete s Me- Of i tbs Aslatlss as
oddity of our being travelling com
panions, and grew pleasantly familiar
/ answered him, not wishing to ap-
pear chWlish or afraid, knowing that
[ could trust something to my own
strength should anything worse come
eve had made the last stoppage
and were rolling swiftly through the
gloom, when, among other topics oul
conversation turned upon jewelry
he drew snowy ring from his finger
telling me it was a curious piece OF
workmanship, having secret spring
which he said l could not discover.
81 took it, searching in vain for
spring, then returning it, it dropped
and rolled under my feet.
II stopped to pick it up, so did he
but in that moment while my head
was down, he had me tightly by tho
throat, and threw me to the carriage
floor.
"His confederate was upon me III
an instant. | could scarcely breathe
and could not struggle, for heavy
knee was upon my chest, and two
strong, brutal hands were crushing
the life from my throat.
"Though the terror of this situation
did not last minute, it seemed al
eternity to me. I felt the ruffians
searching for my pocket book, and
strained desperately for chance O
resistance.
"Their work was nearly DONE
Cramped in that small space / was
powerless, and the veins in my throat
and head were swelling like sinuous
bars, when the old man in the corner
woke and came to my assistance.
Il heard low whlrr of some weap
on IN It's decent, and my first assailant
reeled from me stunned. Then the
old gentleman, with strength and
rapidity OF action wonderful to sec in
a person OF his age, seized the other
scoundrel, lifted him away, and push.
ed him down on a seat.
There was a brief struggle, and
then l heard sharp click-scoundrel
the second had pair of handouts OF
his wrists
they We're more prompt than ]