Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-03-09

E THE BLACK TERROR )
Il Romance of Russia. q
% by JOHN X. LEYS. *
70 &
|

by JOHN X. LEYs.

you. repeat, what possible interest
could ] take in the business but a pri-
yate and personal one? / do not mind
c0nfessing TO you that | am a poor
man. and tae loss of my engagement
through the abduction of the Prince
was a sever blow 10 me. Ten thou
sand pounds was TO me a large sum:
and ! conceived that | would be help
Ing the cause OF civilization and good
government"
What on earth is the man talking
ab0uty III is true that | sent instruc-
tions to England 10 the effect that as
much as ten thousand pounds-or al
most any sum-wouid be paid for
trnsty information as TO the fate of the
victims of the Terror. But that was
long before you went back. | never in
structed any ne TO deal with you"
Then have been grossly deceived.'
! said, hotly. THE man offercf me-,
first, III thousand pounds, and L
laughed at him. / value my life at n
higher rate than that. Then he gradu-
ally raised the terms to ten thousand
pounds. DO you dlsown these transac-
tions? Do you mean that | am not to
get the money!
What proof have you OF all this -
asked the officer. farshly.
Davis gave me a memorandum CT
the terms at the time" | said. as calm
~ as | could. Il would not stir a step
without il, unless he put it i'm black
and white. Ii | am not mistaken. YOU
will find the note in the pocSetbook
they took from me when / was arrest
ed"
The pocketbook was sent for. The
note was found, and the chief of police
read it through carefully more than
once.
There Is no engagement ON your
part here he said, frowning.
There was no need for my putting
an engagement in writing, for ii was
understood that the money was only 10
he paid If | succeeded in getting the in
formation. II | learned nothing l was
10 gain nothing"
And now | was about to play n bold
stroke-one that must either gain me
credit III De Noilleff's eyes or discredit
me altogether. As the chief sat with
his head on his hand, still studying the
memorandum Davis had given me,
continued:
1T is n very easy matter To test the
truth of my story. Why not telegraph
To the Russian Embassy in London,
and ask them whether they did not en-
gage a man named Davis. and give
him authority TO offer as much as ten
Thousand pounds for certain informa-
ton; and whether Davis did not re-
pert that he had given me a memoran-
dunn promising TO pay that amount for
tie information r~enderedy'
| WAS well aware that this was n
dangerous suggestion. Ii the reply tel
.egraIa from England contained any ac-
count OF my behavior at Baileybridge,
II would he all up with me. But there
were several chances against this. In
the first place, the trick | had played
on Davis did not exactly rebound 70 his
credit. II was more than likely that
he had said nothing abont it at the
time. and If so. he would certainly not
speak OF 1t now. else il would be plain
that he had made a garbled report in
the first instance. Besides, even IL the
secretary "a the Russian Ambassador
knew al the facts. it did not follow
that he would ecoun them In an an
swer TO n telegram demanding instant
information only on some specific
points. And. thirdly. ' If the tele-
gram said that | had given Davis the
slip. or acted in n suspicious way. 1t
would support me on the main point of
the g~enuineness of the memorandum;
and 7 might I've able 10 laugh off the in
cidept at Paileybridge, or explain that
ii was necessary TO get rid of h de-
tective IL / were to do any good. As |
expected. NJ. de NoillefT adopted my
suggestion. lie said he would send a
telegram TO London. and that | would
he detained in custody until the reply
IN
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