Argosy, Vol. 1 (December 9, 1882) — page 115: what you’re looking at

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

108 THE ARGOSY. had remained there all the while, gazing at the scene with wide open eyes, to unlock the door. He looked at me, then at the proprietor, trembling as if he expected to be immediately killed. “ Unlock the door! ” I demanded a second time. ‘The boy suddenly came to his senses, but with a strange expression of awe on his face, and moved sidewise to the door, his eyes fixed on me. He turned the key, threw open the door, and then darted back into the center of the room. I took the key from the lock, and put it on the outside, taking care to keep my eyes on the men tn the room all the while. As I backed out of the doorway, relaxing my gaze for a moment, there was a slight movement among them—one of the men coughed, and another dropped his hands. They were like wild animals in a cage. I could hold them under my subjection only as long as I had my eyes fastened upon them. But in an instant I had brought the door to, and turned the key. As I had expected, there was rush at the door, but they found it locked. Then there were cries and curses. I did not wait. They would be after me, the whole lot of them, but I had gained a few seconds’ start. CHAPTER VII.—A Nicut’s ADVENTURE. As I left the house I crossed the street, which, fortunately for me, was de- serted at this point, though it could not have been much later than nine o’clock. I then hurried on a short distance until I came to the house where Don Carlos lived. I had no more than passed within the shadow of the building than I saw two of the men I had locked in the pulquerta come around the corner in front ofme. Immediately afterwards two others issued from a doorway in the house adjoining the Los Toros de Muerte. Both parties met at the corner, and stopped. It was very evident that they had planned to intercept me, and not seeing me anywhere, were in a quandary as to which way I had turned. There was a hurried consultation, and then they separated, two of them going one way and two another. I could see by the light of the street lantern that one of them was armed with a rifle, and that the others had pistols. The fellow with the rifle and his companion crossed over to the side of the street I was on. I heard them stop for a moment or two, but very soon they came down the street directly toward the place where I was standing. I stood close up against the wall and under the shadow of a balcony, so that I could not be easily seen until they were right upon me. As they came nearer [ thought it prudent to step under the arch of the doorway. The door set in from the wall of the building somewhat. I was surprised to find that it yielded to my touch and opened when I pushed against it. Seemingly, this was my chance for escape. I stepped inside and closed the door behind me just as my pursuers came along, poking their guns into every nook and corner. GOH GoOOO COLNT