THE "EAGLES"

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 197, 7 October 1909, Page 3

THE "EAGLES"

jgdfslgjkl

A SENSATIONAL oTGRY OF LOVE AND ADVENTURE.

By V.\--l. I'::'., r ; : \i.T, - •

V W'-V l'J T raised my I u I. my Knuckles were ;-.!tm»st on «!>• floor. wh« n b.V 8 sudden instinct that cnme to me. 1 suppos... with my new-born Zeal tot political conspiracy. I frsl 1001. *d round to sue who was aliout. and noticed with same alarm that the police-officer who hod hustled mo in in* other street had followed mc throughout my meandering. He was talking to a man in ordinary civilian dress and although they professed to be taking little notice of me. I determined not to go into the house. They were obviously not wire of m-. and" the fact that I had entered this dwelling might induce them to follow me. And Von Granatin with the polite in his house might have a •bfficultv in explaining hi* own position. ' With a sudden sweep of my nnu I dived n.y fingers into the breast-pocket of my overcoat ami pulled out my cigar-case. Going a little closer to the door I si nick a match and puffed away as though I had merely stopped lo grt a lee corner io light my match. I think the movement satisfied my watchers hut it did nut coax th-in off my track. The man in civilian clothe* parted company with the uniformed officer as soon as I moved on nml turning a corner abruptly. I wnited in the shadow of a doorway, lie walked up to the corner ami I saw him stand there a few minutes, paring irresolutely along the street, obvious! v looking for me. A» he walked along past where I was standing I pulled my heavy overcoat well over my ears, and buried niv fore in the big fur collar. Then squeezing mvself back against the door as closely as passible I allowed him to pass, and juM as he had gone nbont a dozen pn«es away from me I felt the door yielding under the pressure of my Moulders. This was surely a hospitable kind of neighltourhood. where the doors opnett as soon as you touched them. Hut it was a cnr.e of any port in a storm tor me at that moment. I had no desire to ckpi- in contact with the Hmsinn pots.-, even although I was not n» all frightened bv the coiinif v." . angry threat about im nrrest and subsequent disappearance. In the Diplomatic Service one is e\pee ted to live d-roroiisly ami according to the usages of society In the capital to which one is attached. n«*l •» *n* n " « ,nr, °' lhl ' Russian aristocracy to roam about the slums of the city engaging in »»net brawls with the officers of the law.

Stepping lightly in-side the door as it swung o|>en. I closed it gently nml found myself standing in a dark passage, 'similar to that through which Von <r;rahaun had conducted me the night l--fore. Listening int.ntlv through the civvies at the side ol the door. I heard the plainclothes tnan tramp hastily liockwnrds and forwards, and then, in a moment or two. he was joined by one or tWO other llien. I ktteW perfectly well what was happning. M> -m-bfen ili«mp|>cnrancv had confirmed ■ h >r suspicions, and they determined to find out what this well-dressed emn of foreign apj«-arance was doing in lhat fpinrter of the city. There ttnold le a man posted nt each end ol the street, and po-sibly one or two others parading up and down for «he next half hour ai any rate. | must make up my mind, tier i ore. to kerp snug in the hole to which I had Iwdtrd. hoping and trusting that it might not prove a trap The darkn ** of the place ».ppri-s.*-«-u me. D I roiild only find a ami get a smoke | .ould manage to lire r,»»t Ihe gentlemen who were keeping v.epl outside. II war* very late and ..ossihly the good folks ef the house in whirh I had taken refuge had gone lo bed. though why on enrth they should leave their door njnr I could not conceive. My meditations were suddenly interrupted by a smart tap from the ! outside.

"Xow for it." I murmured to my-s.-l*! The |»olice hod 1 evidently made up their minds to s.-arrh the whole **rvet. Ii was very flattering to me. y»-l at the same time inconvenient. The door swung o|»e„ ns before, but just as it did so I heard the vibration of a wirjr running down from I he roam above. The door, th.n. was not ajar at all. but simply opened (mm within at a signal. It was not the pressure of my shoulders but a chance tap of my heel • I-uit bn-l set its hinges going for my r„.-«e|>t. This wos •» very interesting but U dittl not reconcile me to the prosper! of spending the night in lonu argument with Itussian officials However, the thing had to !*• faced nml I wan stepping out of the gloom intending to ask what the intruder wanted with me when a "Whisht," which if I know anything aliout dialects at all. was acquired in the south-west of Ireland, drove mc back from the open door. The newcomer closed it very' gingerly, waited for a minutes with his ear glued to the pari that did duty for a latch. where there is a narrow opening and then with a self-»ati«fled "Thai's all right." turned towards* where I was ,fanilinjf. and spoke in Russian. There appears to be something ,f.rrmg outside. Two or three ".n-rtoge people are hanging about h , n , „„t"-..\nd then stuhlenly breaking into delightful Irish. "Who arc «ou anvwoy ? And phwat the divil ! are you loitering in the passage tor ? " , . „ The»w «ro« a clarion note of deliveranrf In thesw Impetuous words. Xow I knew that 1 should muddle through somehow. The Irishmnr might he an Orangeman or a Fenian. and in the British Isles we might Ik arguing and fighting over our respective little islands, their virtues ami vice*, but here, in a strange country when one of us was in trouble tht other wouhJ stand by him to the finish t . He paused a little for an answer, and then suddenly remembering that h«vl addressed me in his mother tongue he repealed the question ic Rtwlan arid in a Httlo less »pic> 'orm ' ' Shur*. an' I'm waiting h»re lik»

?■••• -.inn that shor.e above MV'f' " •• !'..t*.vn. liecaus,* I've nothing to do." I retorted, railing tt I tie- old Irish ballad which i n • f mill" u««>d lo sing r.' str.okt •rt.s with the tenants on mj hi-'h uncle's est.T •- Th m.\n fun:'led in th- <!.!r'c til he got my hand, and then \vn ng it •.vith a grip that made the bones omy fingers crack. "Come upstairs, my boy." he sak "Whoever you ore. if you can sing 'Molly Dawn * that's good mougi for me. Are you or.- of the mem lien of the Knglish Society ? " he added glancing over his shoulder toward; me as we turned the corner of th« staircase that led us into a dimlylighted passage. Society ! Good heavens, had 1 -(tumbled upon another secret gathering of soni" sort ? Was every cornet of the globe inhabited by cons; irators ? Was there a place on Ood'* »arlh where I could walk without running my nose into other people'sbusiness ? Something in my manner must nave roused his suspicion, for ht •suddenly halted ami excla: tied : "Wait here a minute." T turned down the collar of m> -oat and throwing it open, cxpowc my face for the f.rst time. "■'Holy saints ! Hubert Gasroigne ! '-

We were bolh by this time standing under a badly-trimmed paraffin lumt out 1 easily recognized the handsome .•lean-cut Irish features of Anton.v Fitzgerald. I had lost sight ol him for a year or two, but we had almost everything in common. I was the youngest son of an Knglish |nrr. he was the youngest son of an Irish p—r. Our two fathers 'had married two .sisters. We wen- of the -nine age and the brightest days ol my boyhood were those which I ■»l»ent with him on his father's estate in the south-west of Ireland, where, his genial good-nature breaking down all social barriers he lived as much in the cottages of the |»ea■santry as in the home of his father. We looked at each other in mutual astonishment. There was so much (o explain that each waited for the nther to stieak first, and before •ither of us could l>egin, a door on the left opened and a yellow-faced person with a huge lieard and goldrimmed spectacles invited us In.

Antony looked at me. and looked at his* friend. And then with a icrk of his head, just as in the old Jays he used to signal the inception jf a new piece of mischief, he introJuced us. nml hustled me into a room where a gathering of persons, almost identical in appearance and general style to those I had seen in Von Oraitaun's house, were seated round a table.

Pulling him aside for a moment I whispered swiftly in his ear : "Fair play Antony. lam in the Diplomatic Service, and it is necessary that I should earn my living. I don't want to be mixed up with any harum-scarum devilment of yours." A glint of disdain came into his glorious black eyes as I uttered the words '•Diplomatic Service," but in .-» softened tone he said : "I despise the Saxon official, but, begorra. I love the man. ami I'll not let you down." he said. And stepping" towards the table he explained that he unexpectedly had met a 'rlend nml was anxious to have a Vw minutes' private conversation with him. Id-fore he had done speaking the •lettrie wire vibrated and one of the •ompany gave the .signal to open the loor. Almost immediately afterwards a frightened man burst into ■.he room. "The police are watching the. noose." he said, "and fiom what I overheard they are contemplating a search." "Faith. rul-Tt. my boy. T much 'ear you are in trouble after all. But I don't think it's s-i:.»:is. You will simply have the excitement of *wing this little band broken up." "You are all wrong." I said.

'They don't want you at all : they ire afier me. And as I came here mhitlden. I'll walk out of my own 'ree will."

"And get nabix-d like n rabbit nolting from a ferret. Xo. I'll be *hot If you ilo ; we've tutiihhd up azainst one another, and we're going to stand by one another. Ix-aslways I'm going to stand by you." "And what of your friends ? Now. don't lie a fool Antony. I'm ail -ight. I have the British Government behind me. You look for yourself amd let me shift as I best ran." "I don't like it a little bit. Faith, no ! lledad. I won't have it at any price ! I'll sec no man walk into the arms of the police before my very •yes without making a fight for it." "I tell you. Antony, it's all right. I have absolutely nothing to fear, but a short argument and an explanation if I walk out openly. But if I am found *er« "

"ITedad. that's true. Our company i« not like to lie on ideal certificate of character for you.'' replied my cousin, running his fingers through his raven locks in iierplexlly. At that moment there was a loud rat-tat and a crash. The police had not token the trouble to wait till the door was opened to them, they had simply banged through it. <uid were now on their way upstairs

CHAPTER XIV. There were not a great many ot them, but the heavily-booted officers an they mounted the stairs mnde sufficient noise to Impress my newlydiscovered friends. I rather expected knives and pistols to come out. but I saw at once there was something very different to the Organization of Comliat about these people. They were mostly scientific-looking people with broad foreheads and fl certain gentle benevolence that one associates rather with a suli-commit tec of the British Association, than a revolutionary plot.

Antony was the only man among them who looked anything like a fighter- Indeed, he was the on!. man who seemed to have his wits about him In this sudden emergency. Bundling his compuni"ns one l>> one through a side door, he promptly cleared the room of everybody but our two selves. And then, settling down in a chair, ami rhr.-winp onleg on the table h- • .-..lnii;. Ikl.-u In*pipe as 'he ;'..:-■:;."• p-ix-e 0 ;li..:a! marched into "i. ; -.:■■ "The top ■■? ■;■■■ :ie.-:■,::,!•• »,, you. or. to 5 -- :;• :•■ [-•' i • •)■<■ i — breath ■ <'■ ■'■■■ ""■"•"■ ■■■< '"' •* ' ; qui.-t.iy bc-n-il.tf hj: i j.i:-' e. :yi u a:- :i,(j

for th" int ruil.-r to .-.\plai;i his pre-

'il..- oflieei- took no noli'." of him. but walking to where I stood, still \vi*!i my overcoat on. In: ae!;.-d, abruptly. "Your name and businors in St Petersburg ? " Secure in the possession of my passport ami credentials as a member of the British Kiobassy. I determined with British foolhardiness to take a rise out of this officious person for his insolence. "I wish to know first by what right you demand my name and what my business has to do with you 1 The man was in plain clothes, and this question of mine was therefore justified, but 1 suppose I was hardly justified in again refusing to enlighten him when he informed mc that he was an official of the St. Petersburg police. "If you want to know my name," I said, "you can obtain it in a proper manner, and I am quite prepared to explain my business to anyone who comes to me in a respectful manner. But by what right do you break into the lodgings of my friend ami relative in this outrageous fashion ? "

One or (wo men in uniform closed up behind the detective, who was for a moment uncertain how to proceed. This barefaced daring was a novel experience for a man whose duty lay principally with the poorer criminals of the city. He was accustomed to see blanched faces ar.l to hear trembling responses when lij addressed his clients.

"What objection can you have fn giving me your name '.' " he said, with a little sho-.v of hesitation.

"The same objection as I have (o han.b'ng a burglar my watch, be- j .ause I do not recognize your right to it," I replied. An itlea had suddenly struck me, that as 1 had once bluffed the police before so I might come out of this difficulty without giving my real name, which was the one thing I most desired. Antony, sitting at the table puffing vigorously at his pipe hardly knew what to make of the situation.- He would have helped me out of course, if he could only have seen exactly where I stood, but he had sufficient discretion, in spite of his hot Celtic blood, not to interfere until-he had a better idea of what T was driving at. The police still took no notice of him, and his silence was therefore all the more creditable lo him. For an Irishman to l>e absolutely ignored in a row was almost an outrage on iiinian nature. "Well, gentlemen." I said, taking jut a cigar and quietly lighting it, "I am afraid I am detaining you from your duties. Do you not think you will be better serving your •ountry on your beats than in this jninteresting room ? It is not a pleasant night outside but since you have undertaken the duty of guarding the streets I should advise, you to go back to the streets." The uniformed men looked at the person who was at their head for instructions. Such audacity they had never met in all their lives, and my unparalleled coolness so astonished the head official that he simply looked at mc in amazement. "Gad. that's fine," blurted out Antony, unable to control his mirth. "Man, I've never seen you on your perch so lieautifully before. Keep it up." The officers for the first time turned their attention to my cousin, and with a view of gaining time to think liegan to cross-examine him. N\-edlevs to say they got very little change there. Instead of replying to their questions, Antony swore at them so voluably in broad Irish that the humour of the situation sent mc into roars of laughter. He gave the leader of the party such a vivid account of his probable parentage, and the physical peculiarities of his possible ancestors that if the good man hail only understood half of what was lieing said he must have wondered whether Nature really intended him to be in the Russian Police or in a cage at the Zoological Gardens.

He finished up by jocularly inviting the officer to have a drink and produced from somewhere a bottle of Irish whisky—which, by the smell of It, must have been several points over proof—that he had smuggled into the country somehow. Meanwhile, I had taken a scat at the table, and ignoring the police entirely, In'gan a general sort of conversation with Tony in English. The aroma from the Strang.- spirit brought grimaces to the stolid Russian countenances of our visitors and our studied unconcern so maddened the leader of the party that he was evidently determined to bring matters smartly to an issue. "Once more I ask you your name and business," he said, crossing over to me and speaking in a loud, peremptory voice. "And I once more tell you that I decline to recognize your right to ask me." I replied taking a big pull at my cigar and half-filling the room with smoke. '•Then, sir, I shuil be compelled"— "To interfere with a free-born British subject?"- T said, doing the John Bull in my best stylo.

"Grand ! Simply grand. Hubert, '- said Tony. "Man, y<»i ought to he ministering to the patriotic sentiments of your great and glorious Kinpin- on the boards of a modern music-hall. So yon did.'Thc oflicer, lik- his col!.-agues at the railway station was iuipr-ss.-d With tno serious natur.- .-■:' th>' risk he was running. II" • .-.- sMIi tating and stroking his 1..-ard. v. h--:i Tony suddenly e : a< ■da - ' 1 - d "Hogorra. IVri:.\ my !•■■;.■, ;■■.■■;':! have to speak nov..'His eye had caught a br: -lla:." '.;■"- drcssctl man who just ii.:; c; : .ir— i in the doorway. Or..- of ■)-.•• . :. had evidently slipped out a:.-! f.-v■;..-•■; in a superior officer. nr.d ■!-.•• plal::clothes man was only t,,,, tile.d -o hand over responsibility '•< hi::,. Realizing the alt'-red rir.-uM;-'ar.c--s Ht ill tried to bluff it by cxpostuiating with the new arrr. ,-d un the insolence of his sub<"ird:r.a ; '-s.. He heard mr- pad.-ndy, and with perfect polit.-r..-.-- -aid : "H-fore t d:s, : u-.s 'ha' ::.u----r with vou, sir. I an; at b-as' •-■:.• i':--d to know »t,.i::i I have the honour oi addressing - To be Continued.