Page:History of James Allan.pdf/10

 on the pipes and hautboy, and greatly exerted himself in establishing his reputation as a musician in Dublin. His talents were valued very highly, and his income averaged ten pounds per week.—Allan, puffed up by his success, became ambitious of becoming a man of fashion; and having reached this climax of folly, furnished a genteel house, in which he placed an extravagant and abandoned mistress. He was soon sunk deeply in debt. The upholsterer, who furnished his house, applied for payment, when Allan pretended he had been disappointed of remittances from England, but would pay in six weeks, determining in the mean time, to dispose of the furniture and slip off. But this swindling scheme was prevented by a draper, who took out a writ against him. In this critical situation he hastily secured some silver plate and his bed-clothes, and disposed of them to a Jew in a distant part of the city. But notwithstanding his precautions, the upholsterer being informed of the transaction, succeeded in apprehending him as a swindler.

Allan accompanied the officers with a cheerful air, till they reached a well acquainted spot when making a sudden spring, he disappeared through a narrow passage, and took refuge in the house of a courtezan, who though a reward was offered for his apprehension, lodged him in a place of safety, and paid him every possible attention. She procured him an old suit of clothes, and found a vessel which was to sail that night. Allan, secure in his disguise reached the ship without interruption. On his arrival in Liverpool he pushed on to Skipton. Finding it needful to have his finances recruited, he determined to enlist; he accordingly accosted a sergeant, told him a well feigned story of his being robbed of his watch and 12 guineas, with which he was hastening home to relieve his parents who were in great distress. The sergeant seemed to sympathize with him, and offered to advance his bounty when he was sworn in. Allan agreed, and accompanied the sergeant to a Justice, when the business was finally concluded. In the evening he pretended he had found a friend to take his money to his father, except a guinea, with which he treated the party. Having procured a billet, he left the company, but instead of proceeding to his quarters, he left the town, and walking briskly onward for two days, reached Darlington. Here he fell in with a gang of west-country