Caesar's Column

ar He

circumstances. Then I was a dweller in the palatial Darwin Hotel, luxuriating in all its magnifi

inding him, to show him the specimens of our mineral discoveries, I returned to the hotel, and there, after obtaining

the world; the air thick with birds distinguished for the sweetness of their song or the brightness of their plumage; the century-old trees, of great size and artistically grouped; beautiful children playing upon the greensward, accompanied by nurses and male servants; the whole scene

er, indignant that anything so contemptible should arrest the progress of his magnificent equipage, struck him a savage blow with his whip, as he was struggling to his feet. I saw the whip wind around his neck; and, letting go the horses' heads, who were now brought to a stand-still, I sprang forward, and as the whip descended for a second blow I caught it, dragged it from the hand of the miscreant, and with all my power laid it over him. Each blow where it touched his flesh brought the blood, and two long red gashes appeared instantaneously upon his face. He dropped his lines and shrieked in terror, holding his hands up to protect his face. Fortunately a crowd had assembled, and some poorly dressed men had seized the horses' heads, or there would have been a run-away. As I raised my hand to lash the brute again, a feminine shriek reached my ears, and I became aware that there were ladies in the open barouche. My sense of politeness overcame in an instant my rage, and I stepped back, and, taking off my hat, began to apologize and explain the cause of the difficulty. As I did so I observed that the occupants of the

riage by main force. I was astonished also at the change in his appearance. The aspect of decrepitude had disappeared, a green patch that I had noticed covering one

per, "come quickly, or you will b

for?"

l you herea

rowd crushed back on each other in great confusion; and I felt the beggar dragging me off, repeating his cry of warning--"Dynamite! Dynamite!"--at every step, until the mob scattered in wild confusion, and I found myself breathless in a small alley. "Come, come," cried my companion, "there is no time to lose. Hurry, hurry!" We rushed along, for the manner of the beggar inspired me with a terror I could not explain, until, after passing through several back streets and small alleys, with which the beggar seemed perfectly familiar, we emerged on a large street and soon took a corner elevator up to one of the

ut of the win

ld-mounted whip which I had snatched from the hand of the driver. In my exciteme

t back to the

that is enough to convic

d, and e

ay robbery to wh

able whip out of the hand of his coachman; and you carry it o

casionally stole a glance at my strange companion, who, with the dress of extreme poverty, and th

a plain but respectable-looking house. It seemed to be in the older part of the tow

is man was something more than a beggar