The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1890-02-27
A IIAIRBREADTH ESCAPE.

now Messrs Friar, Bowman & Kno,
q am Knox)-when one OF those unex
pccted and mos. perplexing crises oc
CURED iii the financial world which
try even cautious and steady going
firms, such as ours wa. and is, mos
severely, and bring less well balancet
houses down with sudden and awful
crash
| may say now, without fear OF be
ing thought boastful, that was some
what favorite OF Friar Brothers: the
fact that William, the senior partner
used to ask me down 10 Henley from
Saturday TO Monday, and allowed Inc
TO take his pretty daughter out Oh the
river, speaks for itself.
At the time of which | speak not q
day passed without some failure OF
threatened stoppage, and knew that
Friar Brothers & Bowman were un-
easy about the Liverpool branch OF
their house. They were, therefore, not
wholly unprepared when one after
noon news came that if left without
immediate help its doors must close.
The help needed was not more than
triar Brothers could give with perfect
ease; but the question was how could
the sum Of ESQ, 900 in hard cash be
conveyed from London TO Liverpool
within the next four and twenty
hoursl The money was all right
double that amount, if necessary,
could be supplied; but by whom was
it TO be garfield There lay the diff
Guilty.
Friar Brothers-Bowman was rarely
i'll the counting household a consul
tation with their manager, and the re
suit was that was sent for. Would
l go TO Liverpool and take charge of
the money! There could be but one
answer Even If had bunked the lob,
which was not the case, l could moi
refuse to help my employers out of
their difficulty. Accordingly, l said
| was quite ready to start at any mo-
ment, and it was quickly decided that
| should travel by the night mail.
BY one Of those fortunate coinciden-
ces which sometimes occur, a large sum
had been drawn out that very morn.
ing 10 meet bills that would fall due
next day; SO that nothing remained
for US to do but to dispose of the gold
In bags; the notes l was to place in a
locked leather case suspended round
my neck by steel chain long enough
to allow the case to hang at my back,
hidden under my coat. AS soon as
the money was put away Mr.. William
Friar gave me revolver, which he
generally kept in his own desk. This
handy weapon placed in the pocket
Of my own coat when was ready to
start; and for greater security, and
prompted also by an impulse 1 could
neither account for nor resist, placed
a much smaller revolver of my own in
the breast pocket of my ordinary coat.
II hope you will have no occasion
to defend yourself" my kind employer
said; and then he added that he
thought it would be as we'll to lessen
the risk as much as possible by getting
a detective from Scotland Yard to
travel with me.
More to please him than myself, for
l was not nervous, l agreed to the
proposition, and drove at once to the
Yard TO secure my man. 1t was
soon done. was to be accompanied
in my journey by detective in plain
clothes, called Buckland-a slight,
wlry looking man of about five and
thirty. He had full dark brown whisk-
ers and beard. and gave me the i'm
preston Of being disguised. Our train
lett at 10 p. m, and we arranged to
meet at Euston five or six minutes be-
fore the hour in order that we might
not attract attention.
| dined at chop house in the CITY.
and went back to the counting house
for the money and my great coat. The
case containing the notes I disposed of
around my neck by the chain; and
the bags of gold were placed in a small
valise. When lifted it, it fairly drag
ged me down; and it was with the
greatest difficulty that / was able to
walk along as if not buraened by q
weighty object.
l reached Euston at 9:45; tipped the
guard to give me and my companion
a compartment to ourselves-it wanted
but three minutes to the hour, and
auckland had not arrived. The guard
began to bang the doors; then the
whistle sounded and the train had ac-
tually begun to move, when | saw
him on the platform. With a dexter
Gus swing of the door and an agile
spring he was in the compartment and
threw himself painting on the seat,
saying that 1t was ''cloSe shave this
time" Then, rs soon as he recovered
breath a little, he asked if had the
cash all right.
L nodded and glanced up at the net
ting. He followed the direction of
my eyes. and said, "Oh! up there, is
l nodded again and then looked at
him. He was slight and wiry look
ing, but there was not a particle OF
hair on his face. He caught my curl
GUS and inquiring gaze fixed upon
him, and laughed an easy. jaunty lit
tie laugh.
lord bless you," he said, "you
don't suppose they was real, do your
hardly ever wears hair when I'm on
dooty."
"lndeeGw l answered obviously.
Somehow, was not attracted by my
companions look as he now appeared.
shaven and shorn, for most yilliarous
and sinister looking mouth was too
S"RSSN' l. VI OAlC Tie
idea flashed across me that he wa,
not auckland, but a cutthroat who
had somehow got wind of my bust
ness, and meant to rob, and, perhaps,
murder me during the night Journey.
But then the secret was known To-
no one except the partners, the man
ager, auckland and myself.
The train moved slowly, and I
turned my head and looked back at
the brilliantly lighted station. AS l
dld SO we began slowly to move on
again, and saw q man rushing wild
~ from the booking office and along
the platform after us, gesticulatine
wildly, and apparently shouting to
have the train stopped for him. But
the speed was increasing every mo-
ment, and l soon lost sight of him.
but not until had time to notice the
strong resemblance he bore to Buck.
land as l had seen him in Scotland
Yard. L went back to my seat feeling
bewildered and uncomfortable, and a
horrible idea took possession of me