The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1901-11-14
How the Dia-
mOnd Trade
Was Halted.
WAS. in the frontier guard when
the following incident took


the following incident took
place. The purpose of maintain
ing a frontier guard is founded
on two important reasons: To prevent
smuggling, or surprise by armed in
vaders. We were stationed on the
Belgian frontier.
The frontier of France, and especially
bordering on Belgium and Germany, is
very closely guarded by gendarmes.
At fixed distances along the line are
the barracks of the guard. The line is
divided into regular beats and there are
two patrols for each beat, one for the
night watch, the other for the day.
They relieve each other alternately, and
every man in the patrol goes heavily
armed, for smugglers are sometimes
desperate fellows when driven to bay.
The number of gendarmes in the patrol
depends on the amount of smuggling
that is being carried on. If it is con-
siderable there is large patrol. If it
is not very extensive there would be a
small patrol, like ours, which contained
six men, three for the night, three for
the day.
The day watch was provided with
good field glasses with which they
swept the horizon continually. Nothing
escaped their eyes. The night watch
was provided with two dogs whose keen
ears and noses have often decided the
fate of some unfortunate econtrabandist.
1 was captain of the night patrol at
this time. We always relieved the day
watch sometime before dusk, and were
generally well on our way by nightfall.
One evening, the weather being
somewhat cold, when we had covered
about half our beat proposed that we
build little fire and have something
warm to eat and drink before we
proceeded further. This being usual
custom, my two subordinates, Rene
Jacques and Pierre by name, signified
their approval, and we proceeded to put
the plan into execution. Now, the
country thereabouts was full of
pigeons, and L managed sometimes to
bag one or two while supper was
cooking, thereby adding something
tasteful to the meal.
1t was still quite day, althO the
night was falling swiftly, when 1 threw
my gun over my arm and, going a
short distance from the fire, scanned
the heavens for some sight of bird.
Directly one flew overhead, and l
banged away at it and by great good
luck managed to hit it. What little
thing sometimes changes mans whole
destiny! If had not fired and nit that
bird would probably bave been on the
frontier guard up to the day of my
death, instead of becoming what I did
and being what am now. AS l say
the bird dropped, and one of the dogs
ran and got it. He brought it to me
and stepped over to the ire to get a
closer look at it to see if it were fit for
eating.
OuUUcIly hOuC OoC4uOo POAuIOu AAS
finger at its leg and said, "Ma fol, little
captain, you have shot some ones
carrier pigeon. See, it has something
on its leg" l looked, and sure enough
it had small quill attached to its leg
"Probably a billet doux from some
amorous swain to his lady love" snorted
Pierre. "We shall see," said 1, and with
that picked up knife and slit open
the quill You may judge the amaze
ment of all of us when instead of q
letter, a small stream of sparkling
diamonds rolled out into my hands.
BLESSED dame," said Rene Jacques
"what have we here?"
Someone is careless of his jewels,
said Pierre. said nothing, for 1 haC
been doing some hard thinking, and g
great light had suddenly dawned or
me.