The two vagabonds roughly smote Simard's cap on his prone head, and as
roughly raised him to his feet.
'He is a friend of mine,' I interposed, 'and promised to take me home
with him.'
'Good! Follow us,' said one of them; and now I passed through the
morning streets of Paris behind three cut-throats, yet knew that I was
safer than if broad daylight was in the thoroughfare, with a meridian
sun shining down upon us. I was doubly safe, being in no fear of harm
from midnight prowlers, and equally free from danger of arrest by the
police. Every officer we met avoided us, and casually stepped to the
other side of the street. We turned down a narrow lane, then through a
still narrower one, which terminated at a courtyard. Entering a tall
building, we climbed up five flights of stairs to a landing, where one
of the scouts kicked open a door, into a room so miserable that there
was not even a lock to protect its poverty. Here they allowed the
insensible Simard to drop with a crash on the floor, thus they left us
alone without even an adieu. The Apaches take care of their own--after
a fashion.
I struck a match, and found part of a bougie stuck in the mouth of an
absinthe bottle, resting on a rough deal table.
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