Page:Looters of the Public Domain.djvu/252

 to tug frantically at my left arm, which he grasped tightly. Struggling thus, we backed up against the side of the building, and as we contested every inch of ground, I threatened him with certain death unless he released his hold.

"For God's sake, Steve, don't shoot!" he implored.

It must have been that fear got the better of his judgment when he exposed himself thus, as he ought to have realized my desperate position.

Finally, after a herculean effort, I managed to throw him up against the wall with such force that I was enabled to wrench myself loose, and before he could recover, I had separated myself from the redoubtable sleuth by the respectable distance of two or three yards.

Realizing that "Richard is himself again," and fearing that he might make another attempt to lay hands on me, I advanced towards him resolutely, with revolver pointed directly at his head, and a look of fixed determination in my face, and told him that I would kill him dead on the spot if he attempted to pull his gun. "Damn you, go!" I demanded, menacingly.

At this, and with the evident thought that I intended to carry out my threat, the great detective turned tail and ran in the direction of the postoffice corner, where he found shelter behind a friendly pillar.

Wheeling around on the sidewalk, with revolver still in hand, I covered the man whom I had all along suspected was Burns' assistant, and ordered him to decamp. He lost no time in doing so, but I have since come to the conclusion that I was mistaken as to his identity, and that he had merely become attracted to the scene out of idle curiosity.

A number of women had flocked out of the postoffice building while the struggle between Burns and myself was at its height, and were gathered in terror along the sidewalk. Pointing my revolver in their direction, I ordered them to proceed in advance of me, as I knew that Burns would not dare to shoot while I was thus protected. Using them thus as a shield to cover my retreat to the corner below, and perceiving that Burns had not emerged from his position, I thanked the ladies profusely for their kindness in thus aiding me, informing them at the same time that they had probably saved my life, and after tipping my hat to them in the most courteous manner possible, I hiked down a narrow side street at breakneck speed.

Proceeding thus about half a block, I turned suddenly into an alleyway which extended to the left a distance of several blocks. I had continued my flight down this alley but fifty or sixty yards when I discovered that I was completely winded, and on the point of collapse; so seeing a door open in what proved to be the common basement for a series of large flats, I dodged in, hoping to gain an exit to the street in front.

Upon entering the basement and making an investigation, I found that I was in a trap, as the street in front of the buildings was much higher in elevation than the alley from whence I had just come, and as a consequence, there was no means of egress in that direction. Returning towards the entrance, I discerned, by the aid of a subdued gaslight, that a stairway led from the basement to the flats above, but not having any idea then as to where it might lead, I thought to avoid it and take chances in the alleyway, hoping to smuggle myself in the crowd by some process and escape detection.

When I reached the door again, I hesitated long enough to obtain a breath of fresh air, but did not linger, as the clamor of voices, accompanied by the sound of approaching footsteps, aroused my mind and body to quick action. They were now at the very entrance itself, eager as a pack of wolves to devour their prey, but bellowed on, the one evidently intent on outdoing the other in the chase. A few of the older and wiser dogs remained behind to probe the surroundings, yet not daring to venture into the confines of my den. It was not long before the alley was fairly alive with baying humanity, yelping about in wild confusion.

My thoughts at this time can better be imagined than described. Here I was, having escaped my captor, yet in a worse predicament, if anything, than

Page 246