THE "EAGLES"

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 204, 1 November 1909, Page 4

THE "EAGLES"

■"ropyrlcrht.'l

A ScII jr\ i SONaL £ i uI»Y t LOVE AhD ADVtiiiußt.

Ib I" •>' I- T j-.," .. ,: ;i

P A 1I t'IIAI'TKK XXI f. I took cnre before 1 stepj* ; J mtf more out of M»" wood tir iwii" the sattif omlrr* to my imaginary band, anil even went so far as to reply to ni)>l( in three different voices. Then I trcnl itp In lie* horses. r»it iliiir Iriirm (rtr of the Iwo I had wmm lfd hart*'l up lli«* un wounded leader v. it Pi Ihe remaining iinunumliil liors.* of t?».» team. aiul ilri-tr llu-m wvfl r ,iv from the unwound-d horses : K-fii with utii> of Ihr ri'VcilviT* I put th' fwo animals on! of their misery, it. * i»g t'iiiii|ili'lcii this duly I tn ilii- ihnf iiflircrji. Ili'oilnmii." I .said, "you nil! nsi ,nit to I Hi* sleigh. Ami y on." I said P»»k ir:r; In the iin>' whom I hull noticed driiing. "will lake tin* nins and drive tn St. I'flt'piliurj.'." I plared Ihcw three so that I s«t b*hi:td with my revolver co: k«-d. nil rvndy for use They got in without n Kintl. find took thi*ir stents in thord> r I have mentioned. I «.h»ntr:l another imaginary order. Th r.. litrniiis to the one who drove. I (old him to Ire off. Tf»' |»«»r uf horn's strain-d sti th" f Ei-isvfu. which !»-j;nn to move sli<;hi I*: th-fi. the animals breaking into ;i friv gallop. we lurgan to sp.«ed rupidlv lonard* the tn|iitnl. r*o far not one of my three pas-M-mgrr* hud so milch its spoken n word. but when we had gone. I sii|»|w. some two or three mih-s. they, in their ridiculous position. crowded togf»hir in front of the sleigh. while I snt It-hind with a revolver in each hand, one of them turned to me. ami rj' iiis; my weapon.* with a very natural nervi»u.«.»i«*ss, said. in n deep tone: "U(F{ monvieiir excuse me if I ask {» ■«. S (Oil "Vol at all." I answered. only too pl«d to have my thought s distracted.

If i.« n ion." conlinn«-«l thr i.i.-:i. "tthirli mniiMrur mny fnnsiili'r Mim.'n lint strangi' under th«* cirrum.*f "" "Not nl nil." t said. "IMensr count ort Mi" lor any information I rnn |>o»is>E " f i vt* y* »u The polil»'«rs.«i nl' my >|»ti Ii and I In? p-Hft" air with which I .«»nid ihi'?»e n.inS nl- Eif H ri'n.">Mii'i'il him. I siw of a .miilc piny round hi* lip*. "V. Ei\ do*'* mon«f>'tir go In St. rcft rilmrg whc«v ho |inii?M*»l. n> if in «ltltiffilly how to «-xpr«»f»J* hiiiiHclf. and then with lh»* Miiilr dii-ps-ning lu* li{><. I?.- ront•numl. "where i rf i'i i lit lit- ilillinillirjk wilh the tire .Hiir»" lo arise ? Th'- anmsiMl me not n liltt'' U'-r»* wn* I. hnving wnpi-d I'rtini pri»>»n. hnving nrr<>sl«nl my pursuer* l»v tin nliixnl of lilufl. now dri*«i't; rltr vlly liittnrils Si. I'eter*tmr;. rnighl into lln" arm* of lh«* anchorii ic». Of course. il iiiu*l have •ui'iii' «l rtdt«-»do»i«. In lhe»> ni« - »i. Hill huv.. ii'lu nvisi-. did I Mnud a cltaiifi' of sfk-niivfj l>.iik my |in.*s|«>ri «»r <.f rnwitttmii'iitinj? h ilh III'" Itril i-di nulhoricie* ? Kvi'ii if t wo* rearrest* nl nl St. |vt .T>l»nrg Ihe chnnre* of my nit ittitif«» ri'lfnst l would lie Ih-llit than lln * w«re ntt itck njro. "I'll-n I ««> in lie hand.* of I'rino* Mirski nm! th>- in'intif"* with Ili«- si-eret Uf.' |*dire as my custodians. lioih of intents; nt-- I lie tool »>f tlii'ir .-i' ,«►»• inl"r«-*l«i. «!»?•• r:; ;ii Ihe sllppos* d rital >•» his for Flora —n .supposition lli»- \. iy thought l>roii:"lif a : • i- smile to my lips— the i.th-'r (u.'t »|>|Mri')illv roiH'i'iVnl n p-'i-nliar ftfj''i'(ii>n iV»r m•. uhii'li nil m> ei'iorl.--f»» sidle had fnili-il Now. liowe\er. f .»>u>idd «-ome under the ordinary of the l(u*sinn ni--v h»''h. I roiift""*.. I hnd nol much ni afi opiniou—l»ut I l>iii-« I 'S-ii'd t.Mam a henrin#. anil lhai imifiiri-"-would lie srl «»n fool low-mmi* me n.r;i) thai on slnlimr Iha I I wa-» an I ;ny;tchiiian nnd telling Ihe n»**'-*s-ary (Mir* n( my lh«- ltrifi*li I'nn ~' d v. »u!d !»• I'liimniiiiii'.it -I willi

I'm: tM»w n«* I »o explain «lii *• • ri thret» men? Il was it ililb.uli t ■ ; | C»Jt lf|i»«'"*diflp''Mll fieeillt.M" I -I, ii> ri'iifiw ««i» iiinrh ilia' did n«r M'-ttnwl Ibe rwlil •»( Ui- ir nit "I Kg.-we. I po»tl OH n»> tpieslinn, r .-•» while I wf»'» -r----iw; f h ■ - thing-* in i»»> mind »ha» • l» • Kiir nunric I hut h • nn" In--'"ifhis." r,i>h. r uncomforlable. A* that I determined lo carry my prev!»iis line nl ronduct Ihruiigh as a *MH»I plover inrren-*-* *»» - it Jifjnil. and iii> Mlov.-players had shown tiieu»«"-Ke* w'v twicnnlili" to mi obvious ol blurt. '■ Your iiu|>i«ry i«. very ioiMi. . I •toitl : -|«»K l«>fore 1 answer il I nnt, \«>u « rlnin «|iuyl inn*. I wnnl you cV*nrly lo iimlcrsiniiil Ilin! I «m not attempting lo extract lh- promise I ciiii going lo fltk you to make by force. If von don't wnnl lo make the promise. rton't make i». ,\t for a* I nin conrernel. ii will make no difler.-ncc. Hut I confess I shall take il #nx a fnvour if y«»u tnn see your way to making the promise." The three nvn turned round n( ilr itnii their MirjTiw' at ibis extraordinary r»f|Uest was plainly wrili«-:i on their lno->—so plainly indn-d. ibni I could not help laughing, which mhihv what rens*urei| them. I think. "Monsieur is not joking?" q»it" > • I the "i»' who had -H|»okrn to mo before. • Indi-o-d I am not as |»'rlw|« I -hall lie able to explain to you later." lint you must admit." said thi driver. "that the situation I* some* what curious. Here you ask us to make a promise, while, at any rale for Ih<- lime ln-ing " and he looked at the revolver*—"you are able to compel us to do as you wish." ''J don't lielieve in promises given under compulsion,"- I replied. "But. come." I ndded. ''tell me, do yo»| want to go lo St. Petersburg ? " "Ye?;." replied thn third man win Imd tu>! yet spoken. "Wo were or .mi' wnv l«> St. IVtersltiyg. and foi that reas<«n we were sent «n a speri.! miivM.n to-night, which moil--i-■ nt- interfered with." Imliiil " I fold. non-committed-i fur il was clear that they did not realize that 1 had Iteea one ol r h-- occupants of the xli'lgfa which they had been pursuing. "fiut monsieur," said the first whi

| ii.ti j;»r < —"t. ojisf.-ur i s i.t t ! <:d » U>- Jl < ii: • I. v, n-., Ui !'» ' i it- " "Hell. ti»e prnm>+n t wa» .Vol) lo a'%c i". thi : Will yo : pi., ii:.,; ,:ic ;»t uhate.er hapjvns \-u will ive i;.e to 31. I'cl ni'ourg? " "How enn v.'c pre en I or-;wlves urn driving inon.dciir to .~1. Petersburg ? *' said th; drlv«r. "Ah, well," I »aiu, "ilvrc arc i >nny roads to St. Pewrsl.urg. The lirect rout-' liei through various military* oiitposM. To avoid these military- outposts < i.n Las to go a long way round. Hut I don't want to go a long way round. All 1 want is to get to St. Petersburg, and I fully recognize that soiim dWriculty may occur if f take thi! direct route without obtaining this promise from voU gentlemen." "Ari«l when w«* get to St. Petersburg? '* queriiil the driver. "Y« u may v hrtve n salve for your •oii.s«-ie»u-e." I said. "by driving t«i»* to the nearest polio-stat ion—on •ertain condil ions." "Anil the conditions?" "The ronditioos are thai you take :» tins'»nge from me to a friend—a iwsj'njje which vuii may read yoiirvlVrs."

I colllll I lull all the«ie three llli-n wen* hopeles>ly l-i-w ildi-reil at what fiiu>t have sienii'd to them a very 'trangn* rei/liest under the circum•>tance««. Th> y began to whisper to -one another, every now anil again looking back al m<; as though they lielieved I was mail. Then at last the driver spoke. "(If rours.* «!• think your ntjiiest •strange under the rircumstnnres. but .til thi* condil ions yon meni ioned. that we are ••ntilhtl to drive you to the IV r-ciure of I'olic on our nrrivol in Si. Petersburg, we will drive %on there and take your message—if We ran lind your friend." I must have had some ri*ally in--pi red moments that night. I had inteudi-d to try and induce these men lo lake a message to Tony, for me. but it suddenly struck me that it might Ih.* useful in a more direct manner.

"Whnl regiment do \oii Iwlong to?" I said. without replxing to their flii* 1 *! ion. "The Imperial t!uard." replied the driver. "I am Colonel Poieinkin. my comrade* are Captain Makaria. and Jyieylennnt Zevever." lie nodded to the right and left as he as»<igiu«l the names to each of his companions. "Uttsnl " I exclaimed eagerly. "You promise, then ? " "Yes. we promise." they replied together. "Yon swear." I said, solemnly, "l»y all you hold most sacred, that you will drive me without let or hindrance to St. Petersburg, and there, having handed me over to the Prefecture of Police, you will communicate my nie.vj.age to the gentlemen I mention ? " "We swear." "Tinier tlie.se rircinislances. gentlemen. as a guarantee of good faith and a proof that I place every confidence in your honour, allow me to return your weapons which I was. unfortunately. com|>ell'-d to take a short time ago." Willi that I handed Captain Makaria and IJeutennnt Zevever their revolvers, and having extracted the remaining revolver from inv coat, I pa*-*«il it to Colonel Potemkin. I have never seen three men so surprised in my life—not only surprised, but gratified. The colonel turned to me and said, grniely. Itowing as well as he could from where he sat : "I thank you. monsieur, for the confidence you have placed in us. I can assure you on Iwhalf of myself and iii> comrades thai you will find no fault with our part of the bargain." The 111 hers eXpress.ll themselves in a like maiin-'i'. anil ili-n. a'- if reliev.••l i» f a very iincouifoi table situation, l»-gan to ply me with questions. Who was I ? And where did I come from '» Who wire ihe rest of the band that I had lefl in I lie wood

I |11 uIT i'iii* xiiiii- time. iinvwiTinc their ion-' wiih otiiniiT-ipi.-M ion*. <-li- i(inir from them the iliai ilif\ Im<l been vni on s|»eei:il i>iiliiar\ ilui.v mi ilie district of the pri.-on I hail jn-' hii. ami were «»n tti»-ir way In SI. I'.-lt-r-liiirir. when I Ik- news caiin- of I lie Anarchist rising in ih«* prison. sin.l i!»•• cscaj>e of three of I hi- prisoner-. Ah they won: following tin- «niiu" road as the csrn|H"v| prisoners. iln-v had \oluntarj'ly accepted ih" duly of tracking tin-in down, with ih" ri-suli that they Inn I falli'ii liiio m\ hands. lint I Ma*, not to piii ihi'in off so cosily o* I thought. ni Inst. in d"s|»eration. I lolil I hem Ihe whole story—how I hat I was an Knglishman who. owing to lh«" theft of his passports, ami private enemies in Kussia. had b<*rn arri,.*tiil. ami owinp- to the machinations of these same private enemies linil .sentenced lo imprisonment at -\ri-hi!iig»"l. and was on my way there when I managed to escajic. "lio yon mean to say that you have only just escaped ?" said the colonel. ""That Is so." J replied.

"Ilui where, then, did you raise your company of brigands ?" he asked. "I am Horry lo say, colonel," I said, with a laugh, "that there were not any brfgand.s in the wood at all. that I was the only one there, and that I had not so much as a cartridpe with which to shoot you had I wish'-d."-"You mean to say." they cxclaim--'I. almost in chorus "that it was n'l a hoax ? " I shook my head sadly.. "I'm afraid it was." For a moment [ thought thcv wero jpMiig lo Ik" angry, hut the ridiculous side of the whole affair took hold of I hem. and instead they went off into roars of laughter. "Hut It was vers* brave of you, monsieur," sa"td the colonel, "even if we have lK*cn victimized, for the slightest mistake on your part would naturally have meant your death. Hut is this story of yours about St. Petersburg correct ? Do you really wont us to hand you over to the polico ? Because know, monsieur, we should not like to go out of our way to do a brave man an injury. even though hj« has held us up under false pretences on the road." v lt is quite true,' 1 I said, "and moreover, I am going to tell you about the message to my fri'-nd. For what has hnpfwn«-<l pl.«ns-r* auopt my apologii-.H. JIHi.-ve in" !h;U nothing but bitter n«*e."--i'> u..uH_Jiayme to as yourselves.

"'What about tfij interropt«l the colonel, "end who is it to ? " "1 cnid just fu<w," I r v'ied, "that T would giv, yoi; a u/itte:i but I U.ink it would I j bettor if I gave it v. rbati.i." "And t' j r c::rr,£i\'' raid the ca; - <lt " I thought a inonunt, cmd then I -.plied : "The juessags Is Ciir : \ "v.b rt "ascoigne, Knglishman, who cane in the frontier train to St. Petersburg in November, is at pre.-.ent at ih. 1 Prefecture of Police suffering from the loss of his passport. That is ill." They repealed it several times until they had it by heart. "You remember it ? " I said. "Oh. yes, we have it perfectly. J>tH .-oil have not told us for v.liori the message is." "Tlii* message is for one witl, tvhom you have the right of an a science. "I-"or whom ? " they said in surprise. "For the Czar," I replied. 1 had never seen three men so (akeii aback in my life. It was some Seconds before they rcovered from their amazement. "The Czar ! " said the colonel. 'You can't l»e serious." "It is the Czar 1 mean, and 1 know I need not remiml you, gentlemen. of your promise." The three men looked at one anal her in consternation. ■•Well." said the captain, "we must keep our promise, as best we •an." "Yes we will do the besl we can." And we went on through the night in silence. Clearly my three ex-prisoners did not like concerning themselves with an afTair which bore too political an aspect. CHAPTKK XXTir. All through the day we drove, until the night died down in the dim starlight, and the moonlight shone again over Ihe endless snow plains.

It was close on lon o'clock when we arrive*! at St. Petersburg. Under the uegis of the three officers of the Imperial Guard no questions were asked. Xow and again we were stopped l>y some police official, but a muttered word from the colonel set the man at attention with his hand to the salute, and we passed on. On arriving at the Prefecture we had dismounted and the colonel approached me. I made sure first that we wore not going to the fu-cret Service Bureau where I was trapped before. "We have now to perform, Mr. Gascoigne, the most unpleasant part of our journey. We have to give you in charge." * "Please do not regard it as unpleasant. and allow me to apologize for the very great inconvenience I feel I must have put you to, and to thank you for the kindness with which you have dealt with me."-

"And I have to thank you for the very chivalrous manner in which you have dealt with us. And I know I express the opinion of my comrades when I say that we regret this conclusion to a very pleasant trip." The captain and the lieutenant repeated these sentiments in other words. I was on tenterhooks as to whether they would say anything about the fulfilment of their promise. I did not like to mention the matter again in case it should look as if I doubted their word. I Wore we entered the Prefecture together the colonel whispered to me "As to our promise you can rely upon us to do our very best. We have the message, and we will re-jn-aL it viva voce, and we can do no more. Hut I wish we understood the reason of the why and wherefore ? " The last part of his remarks were, I felt, in the nature of a question, but I carefully refrained from answering. and he as carefully refrained from any fun her remarks which might be construed as belonging to the pumping order. We were shown directly in to the chief of ihe police, who listened to the colonel's story—a somewhat garbled account of our real adventures. According to the colonel he had arrived at the prison just alter the explosion, ami lieen informed by certain officials that three prisoners had escajM-d in I hi* direction in which he was driving, and had l>een requested by. them either to shoot or arrest them. if it were possible : that' he had carried out these orders to the letter, and he had wounded two of the esca|H*d prisoners, who had managed to crawl into a dense wood, and were there, in all probability, in their death agonies. The third prisoner—myself—they had arrested without any «'ifliculty In fact, according to this pleasing-Jlct ion which did the colonel's imaginative instinct great credit. I had voluntarily given myself up. d'daring that I hail escaped unwillingly, that I had been forced from the prison by my comrades, and that 1 had lwcn making every effort to alfow the emissaries of the law to recapture me. He stated that it might possibly be advisable—if the chief of police deemed it so—to keep me in St. Petersburg two or three days in order that the fullest inquiries concerning me might be made, as he had Jieard certain jiersons—who would Ik: nain-.-less—in high Court circles mention my name, not as a criminal, but as one in whom they took an interest. The chief of the police, who appeared to be oil the most friendly terms with the colonel, assured him that he would act upon his advice, and my case should be inquired in' ■>. and that the colonel's recommendation should have full weight. Tho chief of the police then rang a bell, eyed me, I thought, rather coldly. and gave me in charge of three men. by whom I was removed. My quarters on this occasion were neither so depressing nor so unhealthy as on tho former occasion when I was detain'.l in Si. Petersburg. Certainly there were bars to Iho j windows, but 1 had a Im.l. a;i<l ih-To was air in the ;-uutn. an<l T was a!- I lowed clean sheets ar.<l .-\-.-n hooks. To b.-- r,,n!i r .ti,-d, !