The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-04-27
The ROANOKE TIMES, FRIDAY, April 81.

that there was time for mo to take nv
trunk with me.
AT that moment it appeared in tho
arms of two porters, who were CARRYING
it with the greatest care. Confound
them, how slow they werel What fool
ever accused tho railway companies Of
handling baggage roughly? i FASTENED
| toward tho men, enchanting:
''Bc quick nowp'
had hardly uttered tho words when
heavy hand was laid on my shoulder,
and turning round to SEQ tho cause of
such familiarity l found myself faco to
face with II gendarme.
''What is the matter with you?" I
asked i'll alnaZement
ajeering tone, tightening his hold "You
will scev'
Behind tho gendarmo camo two rail
way officials. They stopped over my
trunk solcmnly, turned their heads MS if
listening, then stood up and exchanged
q glance, which plainly said, ''Thcre is
no doubt of it.. -
"Thcy arc crazy" 1 thought, but then
ahorrible conviction flashed through my
brain
Whether tho men were sane or not,
ono thing was sure, it was 40 minutes
past IL.
AT all hazards must mako my escape.
shook myself free of tho gendarmes
grasp, and knocking over two OF three
people III my flight dashed madly away,
but was stopped by two custom house
officers who seized mo by tho collar. l
was dragged, protesting and gesticulat-
ing, back to where my trunk stood
There was evidently mistake some
where.
''Let mo CO." cried, "let mo go!
And l swear l will como back in an
hour
The gcndarmes lips described smilo
behind his thick mustacho as he took
possession of mo again, this time with
both hands.
Como, now, don't try that" said
one of the railway officials. "You may
as well confess. You arrived from New
York i'll great haste and under suspi-
cious circumstances. Who arc you?
What have you III this trunk?''
CLOTHES, nothing but my clothes" 1
answered, speaking worse French than
usual in my agitation.
"No explosives" insisted the official.
Explosives What for? l am not
pyrotechnist nor IL chemist. -
''Thcn what is the meaning of this
strange noise? Inside your trunk there
is a sound of machincry-in short, an
Internal machine. Yesterday the London
police arrested four American anarchists
who had similar articles i'll their posses
SION You arc known to DO ono of the
| gang.
l listened i'll specchless wonder to his
words. looked ut my trunk, and my
wonder increased to stupefaction as
heard metallic ticlltack inside. Sud-
denly there was n loud report, like q sig
nal for an explosion.
Beware the bombv' shrieked some
one Officers and porters scattered in all
directions, and even the gendarmc moved
away. l alone remained, like hero. |
tore open the trunk and pulled out the
clothes in feverish haste. All at once l
felt something hard inside nightshirt,
and the next moment drew out and ex-
posed to view little clock!
had unllnowingly packed up the no.
tel keepers property, and it was strik-
|
"Confound the old turnip" l cried,
throwing it down furiously. I was
answered by loud peal of laughter from
the spectators.
Then, putting my head down, like n
wild boar that scents tho hounds 1
dashed toward the cab again and sprang
in, shouting to tho driver:
"I'll give you a louis If you get me
to Place dc la Boursc before noon -
Seven minutes and half later the cab
was tearing up to the Stock Exchange
jumped out, flew up stairs to The
Semaphoro Office, burst into the room
like hurricane and remarked in stem
torian tone:
"Hcrc am, gentlcmcnn'
The next instant the grst stroke of
noon sounded fyom the exchange clock.
Translated From the French For Ro-
nance