Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-08-07
A HAIRBREADTH ESCAPE.

now Messrs. Friar, Bowman * Knox y
q am Knox)-when one of those unex- r
pected and most perplexipg crises oc-
CURED in the financial World which 9
try even cautious and steady going i
firms, such rs ours was aud is, most
severely, aud bring less well balanced s
houses down with "A sudden and awful t
crash.
/ may say now, without fear of be- !
ing thought boastful, that ] was some
what a favorite OF Friar Brothers: the /
fact that William, the senior partner, I
used To ask me down To Henley from
Saturday 10 Monday, and allowed me
To take his pretty daughter out on the
river. speaks Tor itself.
At the time of Which speak not a
day passed without some failure or
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 ii left without
immediate help its doors must close.
The help needed was not more than
Friar Brothers could give with perfect
ease; but the question was how could /
the sum OF 100000 in hard casllbe |
conveyed from London To Liverpool
within the next four and twenty
hoursi The money was all right
double that amount, If necessary,
could be supplied; but by whom was
il TO be garfield There lay the diff
Guilty.
Friar Brothers-Bowman was rarely
in the counting household consul
tation with their manager, and the re-
suit was that was sent for. Would
] go to Liverpool and take charge of
the money! There could be but one
answer Even if | had bunked the job,
which was not the case, could not
refuse TO help my employers out of
their difficulty. Accordingly, said
was quite ready to start at any mo-
ment, and it was quickly decided that
should travel blythe night mail.
By one OF those Fortunate coinciden-
ces which sometimes occur, large sum
had been drawn out that very morn
ing TO 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 | was TO place in a
locked leather case suspended round
my neck by steel chain long enough
to allow the case 10 hang al my back,
hidden under my coat AS soon as
fhe money was put away Mr.. William
f'riar gave me a revolver, which he
generally kept in his own desk. This
handy weapon placed in the pocket
Of my own coat when | was ready "a
start; and for greater security, and
prompted also by an impulse could
neither account for nor resist | Istaced
much smaller revolver OF my own IN
, the breast pocket Of my ordinary coat
= ~. hope you will have no occasion
ID defend yourself. " my kind employer
said; and then he added that he
thought it would be as well to lessen
the risk s much US possible by getting
a detective from Scotland Yard Il
travel with me.
More TO please him than myself, for
j was not nervous ] agreed To the
proposition, aud drove at once To the
Yard" To secure my NAM 1t was
soon done. was 10 be accompanied
in my journey by u detective in plain
clothes. called Bucklanda slight
wiry looking man 0ffsib5drsf We ard
thirty. lie had full dark brown whisk
ers and beard, and gave me the i'm
preston OF being disguised. Our train
left at 10 p. m, and we arranged u
meet at Euston five or six minutes be
fore the hour in order thit we might
not attract attention.
dined at chop house5n ihe city
and went back 10 the counting house
for the money and my great coat. The
case containing the notes disposed oil
around my neck by the chain; ant
the bags of gold were placed in a smal
valise WhenI lifted it, it fairly drag
ged me down and it was with tn,
greatest difficulty that ! was able Il
walk along as IT. not~burdened by {
weighty object
reached Euston at Obs; tipped thu
guard to give me and my companion
compartment 10 ourselves--it wante1
but three flfifutes-to the hour. ap1
auckland had not arrived The guard
began 10 bang the doors; then tht
whistle sounded aud the train had &c
tually begun to move, when | saw
HIM on the platform With a dexter
GUS swing Of the door aud an agil:
spring he was in the compartment anG
threw himself painting on the seat
saying that il Mas CLOSE Shave this
time Then, as soon as he recoveres
breath little, he asked if | had the
cash all right
nodded and glanced up at the net
ting He followed the direction oi
my eyes, and said, '0hl up there, II
itf'
/ nodded again aird then looked N
him. He was slight and wiry look
ing, but there was not particle oI
hair on his face. He caught my curl
GUS and inquiring gaze liked upon
him, and laughed an easy, jaunty lit
tie laugh.
lord bless you, ne said, "you
don't suppose they was real, do your
hardly ever wears hair when I'm OF
dooty" -
''IndeedP' | answered obviously
Somehow, | was not attracted by my
companion,is look as he now Appeared
'shaven nd'shorn, for most wtllianoui
and sinister looking mouth was toc
fully exposed. For one moment the
!. idea flashed across me that he wa
not Buckland but a cutthroat wh'
had. somehow got wind of my bust
ne&, and meant 10 rob, and. perhaps
murder me dgrlng-the night journey
NBI then the secret was knownst
no one except the partners, the Ipap
ager, Buckiand and mSs6ff.
The tflin moved slowly, and
tnrAed my head and looked back o