The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-27
4 THFMES PIRHT]
BY GRANT ALLEN.

His""3 man on the main stream of the Thames Just
below CliEeden Woods confess 1 was more than
half Inclined the first blush of it. to treat the
whole affair a coek-and-buI story
had been high constable of the country for ff-
teen years. and as my own place at Bray slopes down
with its lawn to the rivers edge l know perfectly
We'll how crowded this part of the Thames Is with
punts and rowing boats during the whole summer
season Moreover the particular spot chosen for the
extraordinary attempt seemed so very unlikely
CllFeden reach is the most frequented stretch of
water on the whole river; hundreds of holiday-Iak-
ers pour down from London every day to Taplow or
Matdenhead SO that the channel is alive with sculers
ana steam launches for some five miles up stream till
late hour In the evening. poeh-peehed the police
man who first told me the tale
Nonsense" said; "the gentleman must have been
dining at some riverside hotel perhaps with or
undesirable acquaintance. and having had his pocket
picked by them, been diddled out of his money he
has invented this extremely improbable story to aay
his wife's wellgrounded suspicious"
For, am sorry to say one cannot be high con-
stable OF riverside county for fifteen years and yet
retain ehildlke trust in the perfect goodness of hui
nature
But when the Right Honorable Edward Symington
himself, the respected member for the PIympton
Boroughs, appeared before me and told his tale 1
confess | was staggered.
L 1t,
to be the victim of delusion did he look partc-
ulariy gubie TALL thickset, stoutly built typical
hard-headed English squire good rider to hounds,
conservative country member, ne had the solidity
and eredibiity which we always attribute to the
honest straightforward. unimaginative John Bull
He told his story with perfect frankness. He had
been out on the river with a party of frends-intI-
mate friends, and had dined-he did not attempt TO
deny the fact Of dining that we'll conducted house
the Ferry inn at COokham. After dinner, about at
night on fine early summer evening he started In
a Canadian canoe for Maidenhead. He was accus-
toned to manage a boat and a good sculler and
padder Where the stream divides he took the inner
channel under the Cliveden woods; and there lust
Denind the island he was surprised he passed.
TO see another canoe glide rapidly in gloom
and man accost him threateningly:
Fork out whatever you have in your purse!
Quick; hand it over. this minute or 1 shoot your
What sort of manY asked, cycling my inform
ant hard.
Symington answered like a truthful person:
Il could hardly make out, it was growing dusk:
but he seemed TALL with much black hair about
his face-beard, mustache and whiskers"
"Armed?"
certainly; armed with a revolver He pointed 1t
full at me and cried No hesitation or 1 firer He
was bland but peremptory"
He dared not have fired" 1 said. HE would
nave aroused the neighbOrhOOd"
Il am not so sure of that; it is lonely behind the
islands. and the hour was late l passed ONLY one
other boat all the way from Cookham The river is
crowded, admit, colonel till or half past; but as
soon as it grows dark not soul is left on it."
And you gave him your purse?"
We'll. it was cOwardy of me- l own; but what
would you have? He was covering me with his re-
VoVer; was quite unarmed. And remember. too, in
Canadian canoe, which is not the sort of place
one would choose for tusse-the least thing upses
one Besides, don't swim; it's the sole manly &C.
compl1shment never acquired. having been brought
up inland. far away from any river When went to
oxford was either too old or too ashamed to learn
ana have never learned; the rogue had me at his
mercy"
HOW much money did your purse contain? ."
On, nothing to speak of-about seven pounds
But mats not what mind. It's the principle Of the
thing-that pirate should be permitted to go about
unchecked on the upper Thames with Your money or
your lfeF in this nineteenth century"
paused and reflected
Ihfngs OF the sort will crop up" said 'in spite
OF all the pains one may take to prevent them Rut
nothing ike this shall crop up again promise vow
VIII have the river properly patrolIed and guarded
You must he said warmly "Sucb an o,,+r.o .,
a Hlsgrace to our boosted civilization You ,n,s+
eaten the rogue Till he is imprisoned Col Yena11os
hughes you have not fulfilled your duty to the com
munity." " '-0 00in
AS soon as he had gone asked nv chief do+,o
i've who had been present during our interview
"hat he thought Of Mr.. Symington's story He strok
eu MS smooth chin warily-a chief detectives rbIp
Is Always smooth he has to get himself I'm In s
many dlsguises-and answered with great delibera
ton:
Ills account has a ring Of truth In It. sir sbonlJ
say myself, he was probably robbed OF course q
gentleman may give away money and then desire 70
account for 1t; but Mr. Synington is not a very,
young gentleman nor very foolish one: and ito ~,
young ones and the foolish ones that trumn III, stro
OF sueh adventures. My impression is we m,ob+
"atcn the reach carefully from the bank for . xoo,,
or two" WIN
Atkins" 1 said. 1--WE shall watch It. but not fro,,
me DARK You're the to do it, You knew +no
river We'll and you manage a boat We mnsr
Asht Ihe feilow with his weapons-ff thera 10
any Fellow, which is, far from certain He uses
canadian canoe. He's right of course; no bat is ca
nose4ess; with none other you see SO well abeaJ
exactly where you are going guide yourself SC
perfectly. You must have Canadian canoe. fetvada
ChEeden reach and whether any such OUTRAGE 4s
attempted again."
1t Will be attempted again. SIR Atkins said do
eis1Yeiy. "Yeu may count upon that IF the s+ary.s
true the fellow will have learned that he can induce
strong and vigorous man, member of parliament