San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-27

, that followed Immediately upon his
escape from the house in Knight
Ryder street. he could have supplied
you with only the vaguest and most
incomplete of accounts.
Without definite destination, or
even aim beyond that of putting As
great distance as possible between
himself and Knight Ryder street.
HOLES came by way Of Carter Lane
into Paul's Yard. There he hung a
moment. hesitating-for a man may
well hesitate when all directions are
as one TO him; then he struck east
ward. down Waiting street, finally
punging into the labyrinth of mar
row alleys to the north of it, Here
he might have wandered until broad
daylight. but that. lost in the heart
of that daedaI. he was drawn by
sounds of revelry to narrow door.
from under which a blade of light
was stretched across the cobbles Of
the street.
Two drunken ROSTERS. lurching
forth. paused moment. surprised. at
the sight of him. arrested there. Then.
with drunken inconseQuence. they fell
upon him. took him each by an arm.
and dragged him. weakly resisting.
over the threshold of that unclean
den, amid shouts of insensate. hilari-
Gus welcome from its inhabitants.
When presently. the cOlOnefs eyes
had grown accustomed to the light.
he took stock of his surroundings. He
found himself in motley gathering
of evil-loOking. raffish men, and no
less evil-lOOking women. In all there
nav have been some thirty of them
I,,1 tnI -. t1,f
paratively restricted space.
HOLES surveyed them with cold
disgust whilst they stared question
ingly back at him.
He yielded to the inevitable. He
had few pieces in his pocket. anil
he spent one of these on burnt sack
and its members crcpt to their
homes. like rats to their burrows, in
the pale light of dawn.
the vintner, and slept until clos
upon noon. Having broken his fast
upon a dish of salt herring. he wan
dered forth again, Grant and aimiess.
He won through succession of mar
row, unclean alleys into the eastern
end of Cheapside. and stood there.
aghast to survey the change that the
month had wrought But the tempta
ton was not strong upon him. an
he withstood it. Such visit would
but waste the time of man who had
no time to waste: therefore. Albc
marie was hardly likely to give him
q welcome.
His nights were Invariably spent
at the sign Of the Flagon in that dis
NAL alley off Waiting street into
which mcrest chance had led him in
the first instance.
The end came abruptly. One night
he walked along Cheapside. In tina
thoroughfare. usually the busiest nj
London, he found emptiness and ST.
lencc.
He turned up toward st. Paul's.
his steps echoing in the noontidel
through the empty street as echo at
midnight the steps of some belated
reveler.
Albemarle, he learnt from stray
sailor with whom he talked. was still
at the Cockpit. True to his char
acter. Honest George Monk remained
grimly at his post unmoved by dan
ger.
HOLES was tempted to seek him.
INV
lewd haunt of recklessness-he drank |
more deeply even than his deep habit. ]
As consequence. when. at the hosts I
he lurched out into the dark |
alley. the last of all those roisterers
to depart, his wits were drugged to
the point of insensibility.
Without apprehension or care of
the direction in which he was NOV
ing. he came into Waiting street, |
crossed it. plunged into narrow al
ley on the southern side, and reeled
blindly onward until his feet struck |
an obstacle in their unconscious path.
He pitched over it. and fell forward
heavily upon his face. Lacking the
will and the strength to rise again,
he lay where he had fallen, and sank
there into lethargic sleep.
A half hour passed. 1t was the half
hour Immediately before the dawn. |
Came bell tinklng in the distance.
Slowly it drew nearer. and cry re-
peated at intervals might have been !