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Escape

JOE SPEAR

"G ET THE latest news 'ere! 'Ere's your mornin' newspaper. Extra,
extral! Read all about it!"

"I'll take one please." Paul Travers gave the boy his money,
took his newspaper, and walked on up the street. "Crummy day,"
he thought to himself. "Typical, crummy, London day. Blasted fog-
hides everything. Can't even see the sun. Don't know how much
more of this I can take. 'S beginning to work on my nerves. What in
the ... ? Who's that boy yelling at?"

" 'Ey Mister! 'Ey Mister-wait a minute!"

Picking up the boy's exclamations, an English bobby gave chase.
"Oh Jeezus," thought Travers. "Here comes a cop, too. Looks
like I'd better get out of here. Guess I wasn't as successful as I thought
I was. Damn, that cop is fast. But I can't let him catch me. It'll be
my neck if he does. Come on Travers, you dope, get a move on.
Travers you jerk, you just ran past an alley. Can't help it though-
bloomin' fog hides everything. But I still got time to duck in there.
Phew! Don't think that bobby seen me. Maybe this fog ain't such a
bad thing after all. But now I've got to get out of this city, that's for
sure. Getting tired of this place anyhow."

Back on the street, the bobby gave up the chase, and turned back
to the boy. "Sorry, sonny. I lost 'im. "'E's sure a fleet one on 'is feet.
Whot's the matter, anyway?"

"'E forgot 'is change when 'e purchased a paper from me, 'at's
all. 'E sure must 'ave a guilty conscience, eh officer?"

Reaching the end of the alley, Travers slowed up, composed him-
self, and quite calmly walked out on the street. "Gave that one the
slip," he thought. "But no telling when I'll run into another one.
Now to figure out a way to get out of here." He walked down the
street, thinking to himself, until he spied a taxi.

"Hey taxi .... taxi, over here!"

"Take it easy old fellow. I'm coming. Giddup there, Josephine.
We've got another fare. Where to, blimey? I'm at your service."

"Just get me somewhere out of the city. I don't care where."
"Well now, that shouldn't be too hard to do. Come on Josephine.
Giddup, old gal."

Once inside the coach, Travers settled back, wiped the cold per-
spiration off his forehead, and breathed a sigh of temporary relief.

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