Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-10-26

OF caution might originate. These cars
arc On the English system-divided into
compartments. You must 60 into tho
station, stand near the ticket office un-
til your new acquaintance comes, then
observe if he buys first class. If So,
yOu take second, and vice versa. Pay
no attention to him and let him see you
get into your compartment, but keep an
eye on his movements. In case he comes
to get in where you are, despite tho diff
ferent class of the tickets, tell him the
compartment is engaged Everything
depends on how you carry yourself
through the next 20 minutes. A single
false step, word too little or too much,
will surely prove fatal to all"
In accordance with our prearranged
plan, I stopped the carriage opposite the
station, it being still dark, Mac alight-
ed, went straight inside, and in few
minutes saw his passenger" come
putting in, nearly out of breath. Un-
questionably supposing Macs baggage
to be already on the train, he purchased
ticket, and after seeing his intended
victim enter a compartment got into
another himself just as the train began
to move.
This Wa the vital moment for which
Mac had been waiting, and having pre-
viously unlocked with his master car key
the door opposite he stepped off ON, that
side, hastily crossed to the other plat
form of the dimly lighted station and
made his way unnoticed into the street.
While this was passing sat in the car
riage, and it was not many minutes be-
fore had the satisfaction of seeing Mac
coming back to me. But for the benefit
of the driver we then had q dialogue
somewhat as follows:
1T is too bad. Our friends have not
arrived. What shall we do?''
well, I suppose we must 60 back to
the hotel and wait for the afternoon
train" I answered.
''But I have paid my bill there, " said
Mac, land do not care to go back"
"Then," I replied, "meet me at the
station, and will look after the lug
gage
; In case they recovered the trail the
information obtained from the driver
would cause confusion and delay suffi-
cient, hca to enable MS to gs& Mac
out of Rio
then told the coachman to 0f3yO me
into the city. 1t was not yet daylight,
but after awhile I saw sort of eating
house and tavern combined and had the
carriage halted there. Alighting, I en-
tered and said to the person in charge
RI 70 4 ;c<v g.: 4.
at SO early an hour and would pay him
for taking care of my baggage, as I
wished to discharge the carriage. The
offer was Of course accepted, the bag
gage housed and the carriage dismissed.
In the meantime Mac was waiting for
us in an appointed place not far away,
where joined him, and we went to the
obscure tavern, where the room had
been engaged. George was awaiting u.s.
So far our plan was successful Mac
was safely hidden away, while his
clever friend was speeding miles away
on wild goose chase. There was only
one train day each way, and we knew
the detective could not get back to Rio
until late. We felt certain when he
found Mac was not on the train he
would think his intended victim had
slipped off at some way station-pos-
sibly with q view of making his escape
into the interior Even if he sent dis
patch to the bank-an unlikely thing for
Brazilian to dot would doubtless
be to the effect that his quarry had left
Rio on the early train that morning
with him.
Wepassed some trying hours together
Then George left to take Macs baggage
off to the steamer. He engaged two stall
wart porters. They:stand on every corner
busily engaged in plating straw for
hats while waiting for a job. Dividing
the baggage between the two, he had it
carried to the wharf, and taking small
boat quickly had it slowed in the hold
and the small articles carried to the
stateroom. Soon after he Joined us on
shore.
1t was but 10 O'Clock when George
Joined us, and it was with something
like dismay we realized that the whole
day was before us. Until the day be-
fore, when Mac was in the bank, I had
never known how long an hour was, but
this day we all came to know how long
day could be.
At last the long day drew to an end,
and the shadow, to our intense relief,
oegan to darken in our little room,
where we were holding our watch. The
tropic night closes quickly in. Soon the
city was shrouded in darkness, and we
sailed out to the beach at the head of
the bay to find relief in movement. The
time passed quicker then, and at last we
sat down on some wreckage there and
watched the tropic night as it revealed
its wealth Of stars, and sitting there we
moralized upon the destiny of man and
his relations to things seen and unseen,
upon spiritual force, most Of all upon
divine justice, which in the end evens
up all things. But like SO many other
philosophers who write the style Of the
gods and make a pish at fortune we
failed to make q personal application of
our philosophy.
We sat for an hour longer, and then
securing boat with two negro rowers