"You will get out of here by the same route you came!" responded the man, advancing; threateningly towards me with uplifted chair.
As may be imagined, I had no time to waste in discussing; the situation, so, drawing my revolver and leveling it full at his head. I demanded in the fiercest tones at my command:
"You open that front door, and be d—d quick about it!"
The effect was instantaneous. The poor fellow turned as white as a ghost, and imploringly told his wife to let me out. He was too far gone himself to do so. and it was amusing to watch the antics of the couple after that. Compared with my experience of a short time previously, when I had engaged in combat with one of the shrewdest men in the Government secret service, this was like taking candy from a baby.
The badly- frightened woman hastily picked up the lamp and waddled in the direction of the front part of the house, at the same time entreating me to spare her husband. I had no thought of harming them, merely wishing to get away with as little delay as possible, but the episode indicates the remarkable case with which a well-armed person could invade any peaceful household and ransack the premises without the slightest danger.
The woman led me to the front door, and pointing out in the darkness said: "There, sir, is the stairway. You will find the door leading to the street just three flights below."
Bidding her good night, and with many thanks for her kindness, I made my way downstairs, and was soon on the street.
Not a soul was in sight, so I meandered leisurely along for a block or so. when I saw a carriage coming in my direction. Luck seemed to have favored me on all occasions in this transaction, and the appearance of the cab at such an opportune moment was a fitting climax to my successful getaway from Burns.
Hailing the driver, I instructed him to take me to the Thorndyke Hotel, some twenty-five or thirty blocks away, as quickly as possible. After discharging the cabby, I waited in front of the hostelry as if about to enter, until the sound of the rattling wheels had disappeared in the distance.
At this point, I felt perfectly safe, and had no further thought of being captured, so deciding to return to my room, I took a circuitous route by streetcar until I came to a drug store, which was about fifteen blocks from my room. Here I alighted again and entering, "phoned to the landlady of my boarding house and asked if anyone had inquired fOr me. Receiving an answer in the negative I informed her that I probably would not be home for dinner that evening. To this she remonstrated, stating that she had kept the meal in the warming oven and that, if I could come within a reasonable time, it would still be ready for me. Not caring to state definitely when I would return, I hung up the receiver and walked out. I was now in a directly opposite direction, the Fenway postoffice being in almost a straight line between the Thorndyke Hotel and my present location, so I decided to walk to my room. Before starting, however, I concluded to eat in a nearby restaurant, where I could have time to collect my thoughts and determine on a plan for future action.
As I had asked Burns, before leaving the private office, to accompany me to the room where I might get my clothing preparatory to making the trip to Oregon, and stated to him that it was but a short distance away, it was but natural that he would institute an immediate search to locate my headquarters. As I had gone down the alley, after my escape, in an opposite direction from my apartments, and had disappeared in the neighborhood of a long row of flats, it was but reasonable to suppose that he would attempt to find me in that locality, and as my grip contained a number of valuable papers and other documents of importance, I must, at whatever risk, secure it if possible. Judging from the information received over the 'phone from my landlady, it was evident that Burns had not been there, but knowing the man as I did. it was only a matter of time when he would ferret out my lodgings and it was incumbent on me to beat him there.
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