Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 10.djvu/27

 A ydil Adventure. 17

" He called for tliroe cheers. They ter, rtittling of cell doors, and other

were given with a will, and orna- signs of approval,

mented with several tigers; and then "Presently the whole crew desired

the turnkey of that dungeon came to he interviewed, and the wickedest

among us, and raved, scolded, and man in the prison assured me that he

swore, and declared that unless the would tell all the secrets of the city,

racket ceased he would gag the whole under oath, and as much more as I

bilin'. would pay a reasonable price for.

" It was such a party, gentlemen, "■ That I was a very unhappy 3'oung

as I hope I may never be compelled man, and desperate withal, I have

to meet again under like eircum- never to this day doubted, and that I

stances. importuned and attempted to bribe

" In my feverish anxiety and mor- every officer who came within the

tification I imagined that all the fiends sound of my voice it would be useless

of the infernal region surrounded me. to deny. Moreover, I shall never be

I was fast losing control of my nerves unmindful that 'kicking against the

and becoming strangely bewildered; pricks' is a useless exercise; that it

and yet I had sufficient presence of is the part of wisdom for a man who

mind to attempt to calm myself, and is compelled by untoward circum-

argue that my incarceration was the stances to remain in custody as a

result of a mistake. The poisonous prisoner to make the best of the sit-

atmosphere of the place had some- nation, and spend the time in congrat-

thing to do, I think, with my de- ulating himself that he is in luck that

spondency. so little is known about him.

'•Meanwhile my tormentors con- "But what was I in for? tinned their disjointed observations, •'• 'Pickpocket' was the significant and that terribly depraved woman her word written against my name on the moaning about her poor, unfortunate book of entry. 'Pickpocket!' I brother Dennis, and the prisoner saw the officer write it. with the stentorian voice kept up his "Pickpocket! The thought of it random and oratorical debate on re- caused me to tremble, and the per- form, or something of that sort. 'I spiration to start from every pore in have him at last!' he shouted in a my body. I paused in serious medi- voice of thunder. ' He's a government tation. The full force of the cora- detective, who has come among us plaint dawned upon me. My strength high toned and labor-hating aristoc- began to fail. T was wild with im- racy for the purpose of discovering, patience.

if be can, who beats the great, glori- "Pickpocket! 1 repeated over and

ous, and high-minded American insti- over again, the while standing by the

tution in the important matter of the iron door of the cell listening to the

taxes on the necessities of life — discordant jargon of my fellow-pris-

whiskey, beer, and tobacco.' oners, and inhaling poisonous odors

'• This statement was hailed with that made me faint and sick,

shouts of 'Good, good!' several ''Pickpocket! I had written the

rounds of applause, mocking laugh- word a hundred times, but it never

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