The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-11-14
A COURIER,s STORY.


In INV early days I regularly followed
the profession of courier, as / do now
occasionally, when any of my old pat
rons or their friends require such ser
vices. which is rather infrequent, the
taste of the travelling public having de-
generated into hasty journeys by express
trains, with the consequent loss OF all
endowment of the different phases OF
scenery through which the travellers
are passing. In the course of my many
wears experience 1 have been witness to
MANY strange occurrences, have assisted
in many secret and adventurous under
taking, and have been subject to many
perils. From among such varied expe-
riences give the following strange story,
suppressing for obvious reasons the real
names of those interested.
Many years ago I was engaged as
courier to his Excellency the Honorable
Fredrick Eslington, ambassador extraor-
dinary of his Britannia Majesty King
George, on special secret mission to
one of the great continental powers
Having finished his duties and success
fully attained the object of his mission,
we started on our homeward journey IN
the summer of 1S-. The period was one
to be long remembered, from the politi-
cal excitement which existed throughout
all Europe, almost every government
having unsheathed the sword. We had
travelled a considerable part of the first
stage of our return journey, when his
Excellency, who was feeling the fatlgues
of the incessant travelling In the heavy,
rumbling carriage, said he should stop
at the next town we arrived at, and take
rest and refieshment, both of which he
was much in need of, besides having i'm
portant state documents to transcribe.
In due course we arrived at the small
town of s., on the confines of Ger
many, where we put up. We staid day
and half there; and l was then instruct
ed to have the carriage and horses in
readiness to continue our journey. His
Excellency meanwhile had completed his
writings. to which he had assiduously
applied himself, and told me, as it was
a fine afternoon, he would take a short
walk, and on his return resume his jour-
ney at once, and ] must therefore make
ali necessary preparations. He accord
ingly left the hotel. But he was never
seen afterward, nor was anything known
of his fate.
I waited for upward of an hour anx-
iously, and then made close search for
him, which I continued for several days,
but not trace could I discover OF my
master. A villager, however, living out
side the town, brought to me at the hotel
pair of overalls, which he stated he had
found in a neighboring copse. recog-
nized the garment as belonging to his
ExceIlency, and at once repaired with
the villager to the copse, and closely ex-
amined the spot, but found no trace or
sign of any struggle.
n 1lrOcQ0nfa
search, ut once returned to London
with his Excellencys travelling gear,
which handed to his family. The Brit
ish Government at once instituted in
uuiries, as also did his Excellency's fam
ily. and large rewards were offered by
both, and advertisements widely dissem
mated for any information respecting
the missing ambassador; but they failed
one and all, to gain any information or
the slightest clue to his fate. A certain
amount of suspicion attached to me, but
it was only momentary, and l at once
cleared myself of it, and assisted the dis
tracted wife and her missing husbands s
family as much as lay in my power.
Well remember the agonies of anxiety
and suspense caused to the ambassadors
wife and family by the distressing cal
amity. Magisterial investigation was
made, experts were employed, and every
endeavor made to penetrate the dark veil
of mystery surrounding the event; but
all efforts were unsuccessful. One of
his Majesty's ambassadors had myster-
iously and completely disappeared. with
out leaving a clew to light mp the awful
obscurity which enveloped the tragic oc-
currence.
Several years had elapsed since the
41o l.
painful memory of it, was beginning to
be in Antwerp, on short tour through
Belgium with patrons. And while list
lessly strolling by myself on the quay
one summers evening, watching the
passengers disemb bark from the newly ar
rived steamer, I was .iccosted by mean,
haggard- looking little man of beggarly
appearance. who spoke to me in Flemish.
s.Are you not Herr Roeckel, the cour-
ier?'' he said.
eyes" replied I. ''What do you want
with me? Who are you ?"
81 suppose you have quite forgotten
me ?" said he.
I stared at him keenly The mans
features were somewhat familiar to me,
vet [ was confused in my remem brance
of how and where I had seen him. 'sI
don't know you,' said l..
Eyes you do, and very well," replied
he. my name is Ludwig Kuh1, and 1
have frequently driven you in the first
stage out of Vienna. I did SO when YOU
were courier to his Excellency, the Hon
orable Eslington, in the summer of the
year 1S-."
THE courier is remembered even when
the patron is forgotten, for it is to us
that landlords and their servants look for
their gratuities.
I stared at him, and then recognized
the haggard looks. ''True," said I; ;ss 1
remember you well now. How goes it
with you? What do here in Antwerp?
At the old trade, eh %
'sAh,no," he replied with a deeply
drawn sigh, ''it's long story, and 1
can't tell it to you here in all this noise
and hustle. Let us go to quiet cabaret"
agreed; and in our short walk I re-
volved in my mind all those circumstan-
ces, SO dark and impenetrable in their
profound mystery, which had happened
years before. And remembered how
our position, Ludwig Kuhl, had assisted
me In the unayailing search for his Ex-
cellency. Soon we reached little cabos.-
et,-their name is legion in Antwerp
one of the back streets near the cathe-
dral; and with glass of his fayorite
Booniekamp in front of him, he seated