Old Specie, the Treasury Detective; or, The Harbor Lights of New York — page 139: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

OLD SPECIE. 131 CHAPTER XVIII. A SNEEZE AT THE WRONG TIME. He began to retrace his steps. Reaching the door that led into the cellar, he heard a sound behind him. This caused him to turn his head. He saw something to alarm him. A light had come into the passage. He could not see the lamp itself on account of the bend, but knew the person who held it was advanc- ing. Discovery now would be fatal to his plans. One of the men—probably Snyder, since he seemed to live in this old house—was advancing after him, possibly to get something to drink, there being no waterintheden. | Whatever was to be done must be accomplished quickly. — Delays were dangerous. Knowing it would be folly to remain in the nar- row passage, he passed beyond the door, being care- ful to stop its swinging. Now he was in the cellar. To pass through the coal hole was impossible in such a brief space of time, except by making racket enough to attract attention, for once any of the coal was displaced, an avalanche would follow, rumbling down against the boards. What else remained? There were other things in the cellar, boxes and kegs, but the detective saw only one chance for hid- ing when looking around before. GComichboo gS) (E(0 =: