More than once, as I passed along
Commercial Road, I stopped and looked back. But so far as I could
make out no one was following me. The greater part of my route lay
along populous thoroughfares, and of this I was not sorry; but I did
not relish the prospect of Thames Street, along which presently my
course led me.
Leaving the city behind me, I turned into that thoroughfare, which at
night is almost quite deserted, and there I pulled up. _Pardieu!_ I
was disappointed! It seemed as though my scheme had miscarried. It
could not understand why I had been permitted to go unmolested, and I
intended to walk back to the corner for a final survey before
continuing my journey. This survey was never made.
As I stopped the cab and prepared to descend, a faint--a very faint--
sound almost in my ear, set me keenly on the alert. Just in the nick
of time I ducked ... as the blade of a long knife flashed past my
head, ripping its way through my cloth cap!
Yes! That movement had saved my life, for otherwise the knife must
have entered my shoulder--and pierced to my heart!
Someone was hidden in the cab!
He had quietly opened one of the front windows and had awaited a
suitable opportunity to stab me. Now, recognizing failure, he leapt
out on the near side as I lurched and stumbled from my seat, and ran
off like the wind. I never so much as glimpsed him.
"_Mon Dieu!_" I muttered, raising my hand to my head, from which blood
was trickling down my face, "the plan succeeds!"
I bound a handkerchief as tightly as possible around the wound in my
scalp and put my cap on to keep the bandage in place.
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