Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-12-18
PROLOGUE;
Being the story Of ''Iiidnapped" betoid
,copyrlsht, 1872. by Robert Louis stevenson
ror til. Sunday caaettel

. M the afternoon. l. David BalfOur,
came forth Of the British Linen com
pany. porter attending me with q bag
of money. and some of the chief oil THESE
merchants bowling me from their doors
Two DAYS before. add even so late MS
yesterday morning. | was like beggnr-
man by the wayside. clad In rags, brought
down to my last shillings, my companion,
condemned traitor. price set on my
own head for a crime with the news OF
which the country rang. To-day 1 was
served heir TO my position III me, u
landed laird. bank porter by me carry
Ing my gold. recommendations in my
pocket aud lin the words of the saying
the ball directly at my foot.
There was two circumstances that
served me as ballast TO so much SAT- me ne
first was the very difficult ana dehuly
business had still to handlei the second,
the place TINT / was in. The tau Dluck
city. and the numbers and movement
and noise of so many folk. made new
world for me. after the moorlnnd brnes,
the sea sands. and the still country sides
that j had freuuented up to then. The
throng of the citizens. In particular
abashed me. Rankelllar's son was short
and small In the girth; his clothes scarce
held on me; and Il was plain / was Ill
qualified " strut In front Of bank
porter, II was plain. II / did 30,
should but set folk laughing. and lwhnt
was worse In my easel set them asking
questions. So that i behooyed 70 come
by some clothes OF my own. aud 10 the
meanwhile to walk by the porter's SIDE,
and nut my hand on his arm as though
we were a pair OF friends,
AT a merchants In the Luckenbooths
had myself fitted out: none too fine
for / had no idea to appears like beg
gar on horseback; but comcly and re-
sponsible. 80 that servants should re-
spect me. Thence to an armorers
where j got a plain sword. to suit with
my degree In life, / felt safer with the
weapon, though (for one so ignorant OF
defencel 1t might be called an added dan
ger. The porter. who was naturally a
mum of some experience. judged my ac-
courtrement 10 be well chosen.
"Naething kenspeckle," said he, plain,
dacent cloes. AS for the rapier, nae
doubt 1t sits wi your degree; but an
had been you. ! would haze waired my
Hiller bettergntes than That Aand pro-
posed / should buy winter-hoscn from a
wife In the Cowgate- back. that WINS a
cousin Of his own. and made them "er-
traordinar endurable.'
But j had other matters on my hand
more pressing Here / was in this old,
black city, which was for all the world
like a rabbit warren. not only by the
number Of It's indwcllcra, but the eompli-
cation Of Its passages and holes. "
was indeed place where no stranger had
II chance TO find a friend, lest It he an
other stranger Suppose him oven to
hit on the right close, people dwelt so
u'ronged in these tall houses, no might
very well seek q day before he Glanced
on the right door. The ordinary course
w..a TO hire q lad they callrl caddie,
who was like a guide or pilot, lel you
where YOU had occasion, and (your err
rauds being done) brought you again
where YOU were lodging But these
ead1ics, being always employed IN the
Same Nort of service, and having ii for
obligation to be well Informed Of every
house and Ilorson In the city, had grown
TO form brotherhood Of spies; aud
lncw from tales OF Mr.. Campbeils how
they communicated ono with another,
what rage Of curiosity they conceived
rs to their employers business aud how
they were like eyes and fingers to HE
police, 1t would be piece Of little wis
dom, the way was now placed, TO tuck
such a ferret TO my tails, ! had three
visits TO make, all Immediately needful,
20 my kinsmau, Mr., Balfour pilrig, to
stewart, tho writer. that was Anliu's
egent, and to William Grant. ESQ, Of
Preston grange, lord advocate of Scot
land. Mr.. Balfours was II noncommittal
visit aud BESIDES (Piirig being In lie
country ! made bold TO hndiig way
20 II myself, with the help nf my two
legs and Scots tongue. But the rest
were IN different case. Not only was
the visit to .Appin's agent, in the midst
OF the cry about the Appin murder, dam
serous In itself, but II was highly incon-
Elstent with tho other. was likely TO
pave bad enough time of it with my
Lord Advocate Grant. the bent of ways:
nut to 20 20 him hot-foot from Appfn'a
agent was little likely to mrnd my own
anairs and might prove the mere ruin
OF friend Alans, The whole .hlug be-
gldes gave me q look Of running with the
hnre aud hunting with the hounds TINT
was little 10 my fancy. determined,
therefore, to be done nc once with Mr..
Stewart, and the whole Jneobltica side
OF my business, md 10 profit for that
PURPOSE by the guidance of the porter
az my side. But II CHANGED had scarce
gwen Nun the nddnsss when there came
sprinkle Of rain---nothing to hurt, only
Ior my new clothes-and We took shelter
under pend at the head Of close or
Being strange to what I saw. stepnea
little further In. The narrow pavth way
descended swiftly. Prodigious tail houses
aprang upon each side and bulged out
one story beyond another as they rose
AT the top only a ribbon of gl,y showed
In. BY what could spy in the windows
and by the respectable persons that pass
cd out and in, | saw the houses 70 i,
very well occupied, and tile whole an.
pearnnce OF the place Interested mi
like tale.
1 was still gazing when there came ,
sudden brisk tramp of feet IN time aud
clash OF steel behind mo. Turning
quickly, ! wns aware OF purity Of armed
soldiers, and, in their midst, a tail mni
N srenteoat. He walked with stoot
that was like piece Of courteay. CON
teel and insinuntinG, he waved his hand
nlauslhly as he went, and his face wa,
sly and handsome. i thought his ~,
took me In, but could not meet IL. This
procession Went II to n door III the close
which serving man IN fine LIVERY an,
two of the soldier lads carried The prs
oner within, the rest lingering with thei
hrelocks by the door
There can nothing pass IN the street
OF city without some following of I'M
iolk ana children. II wa SO now: bu
we more part melted away incoutinen
rnlh but three were left One was
Iili she WINS dressed like "A lady mn
had screen Of the Dfummond color
~ hey head: but her comrades orr shout
wy followers were ragged rillios. sncl
lad seen the matches OF by d
dozen IN my highland Journey, They n
speAy together earnestly IN Gaelic, III
SOUND Of which was pleasant IN mi
ears Tor the sake Of Alan; and thong
Ky ram was By again, and my porte
plueNed q me 70 be going, evot Dire,
leafer whore they were, 10 listen. m,
lnny srolded sharply. tho. Others mhldn
npploSieH and ciinging before her. 4
tnn1 4 made sure she ,vas coma ~
Chiefs house An tI.. ..an x