Caesars Column | Page 9

cast into
prison."
"What for?" I asked.
"I will tell you hereafter--look!"

I looked around me and saw that a great crowd had collected as if by magic, for this city
of ten millions of people so swarms with inhabitants that the slightest excitement will
assemble a multitude in a few minutes. I noticed, too, in the midst of the mob, a
uniformed policeman. The driver saw him also, and, recovering his courage, cried out,
"Arrest him--arrest him." The policeman seized me by the collar. I observed that at that
instant the beggar whispered something in his ear: the officer's hand released its hold
upon my coat. The next moment the beggar cried out, "Back! Back! Look out!
Dynamite!" The crowd crushed back on each other in great confusion; and I felt the
beggar dragging me off, repeating his cry of warning--"Dynamite! Dynamite!"--at every
step, until the mob scattered in wild confusion, and I found myself breathless in a small
alley. "Come, come," cried my companion, "there is no time to lose. Hurry, hurry!" We
rushed along, for the manner of the beggar inspired me with a terror I could not explain,
until, after passing through several back streets and small alleys, with which the beggar
seemed perfectly familiar, we emerged on a large street and soon took a corner elevator
up to one of the railroads in the air which I have described. After traveling for two or
three miles we exchanged to another train, and from that to still another, threading our
way backward and forward over the top of the great city. At length, as if the beggar
thought we had gone far enough to baffle pursuit, we descended upon a bustling business
street, and paused at a corner; and the beggar appeared to be looking out for a hack. He
permitted a dozen to pass us, however, carefully inspecting the driver of each. At last he
hailed one, and we took our seats. He gave some whispered directions to the driver, and
we dashed off.
"Throw that out of the window," he said.
I followed the direction of his eyes and saw that I still held in my hand the gold-mounted
whip which I had snatched from the hand of the driver. In my excitement I had altogether
forgotten its existence, but had instinctively held on to it.
"I will send it back to the owner," I said.
"No, no; throw it away: that is enough to convict you of highway robbery."
I started, and exclaimed:
"Nonsense; highway robbery to whip a blackguard?"
"Yes. You stop the carriage of an aristocrat; you drag a valuable whip out of the hand of
his coachman; and you carry it off. If that is not highway robbery, what is it? Throw it
away."
His manner was imperative. I dropped the whip out of the window and fell into a brown
study. I occasionally stole a glance at my strange companion, who, with the dress of
extreme poverty, and the gray hair of old age, had such a manner of authority and such an
air of promptitude and decision.
After about a half-hour's ride we stopped at the corner of two streets in front of a plain
but respectable-looking house. It seemed to be in the older part of the town. My

companion paid the driver and dismissed him, and, opening the door, we entered.
I need not say that I began to think this man was something more than a beggar. But why
this disguise? And who was he?



CHAPTER III.
THE BEGGAR'S HOME
The house we entered was furnished with a degree of splendor of which the external
appearance gave no prophecy. We passed up the stairs and into a handsome room, hung
around with pictures, and adorned with book-cases. The beggar left me.
I sat for some time looking at my surroundings, and wondering over the strange course of
events which had brought me there, and still more at the actions of my mysterious
companion. I felt assured now that his rags were simply a disguise, for he entered the
house with all the air of a master; his language was well chosen and correctly spoken, and
possessed those subtle tones and intonations which mark an educated mind. I was
thinking over these matters when the door opened and a handsome young gentleman,
arrayed in the height of the fashion, entered the room. I rose to my feet and began to
apologize for my intrusion and to explain that I had been brought there by a beggar to
whom I had rendered some trifling service in the street. The young gentleman listened,
with a smiling face, and then, extending his hand, said:
"I am the beggar; and I do now what only the hurry and excitement