The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-01

archy would naturally be the. signal
the Polish province Of the Hapsburgs.
In Gailcla itself I found every
thing IN state Of the most profound
peace and security. There was the
usual US u frontier garrison, but the camps
toured along the frontier almost from
END to end, in a motor which had
ordered from Paris, and I came upon
great stretches of country, several
miles IN extent, where whole Russian
army corps could have crossed the
opposed.
At, the end Of this inspection which
lasted about week, I crossed over
to the Russian side
found myself received without APP
mad EEn7glishman on his motor car had
no doubt preceded me. The Russians
DO not dislike Englishmen, as indi--
vlduals, IN the way they dislike Ger
mans. At all events I had no diff
Guilty IN -. making friends with many
or the officers in command of frontier
posts. they offered me hospitality,
somewhat daring exploration Of their
frontier. - n I -, - - =
At the first blush, everything seemed
as peaceful on this side as on the
other. The number of troops under
arms was not excessive, and the men
snoWed none n sof those, signs Of sup
pressed excitement which warn an
experienced eye that some movement
is in contemplation. 4 o-1No'-' -
Presently, however, I began to re-.
mark an extraordinary number Of tele-
graphic dispatches arriving at the vari-
Gus posts. Special messengers seemed
to come and go with frequency that
1 naraly seemed necessary in time Of
peace. At last, one night, I was reused
from sleep by a sound which my ears
were quick, to recognize. It was the
mutfled rumble of an artillery train pass.
ing over the rough paving stones Of the
small town in which I had stepped for
the night. @E
1 got up, softly drew back the curtain
OF the window, and cautiously peeped
out. There, in the moonlight, rolled by
and all the supplementary outfit Of a
park of artillery. -
They were heading southwark, and
the frontier lay only three miles away,
l counted six batteries -thirty-six guns
the equipment of an army corps.
When all had gone by retired to rest
again. .'.s,,l - -, -
I rose at break Of day, took out nv
car, and followed in the route of the
cannon. The road conducted me without
turning straight to the frontier post,
where / found a sleepy Russian sentry
exchanging. friendly greetings with a
still brewster Austrian one. A short
way beyond stood the Austrian guard
house, with the men lounging on bench
outside the door in the sunlight, waiting
for their coffee. 8 ta :
Everything was as if my vision of
the night before had been a dream
! turned my car round and drove back
slowly, scrutinizing every hedge and
! tree along both sides jaff the road. Less
! than mile from the post my attention
,, was caught by a place on the lefthand
:, side, where t hehedge appeared to have
: been mended or replanted. I ought to
explain that the road was bordered at
this point by a, thick wood apparently
impenetrable to anything bigger than q
stoat. ~ #
stopped the car, got down, and ap
. preached the hedge, examining every
inch Of the ground.
j. 1. !.
!, The first discovery I made was that
the road itself had been recently mend
ed. Creases in the surface, like the
, ruts made by heavy wheels in turning
, had been filled up, and the dust from
other parts Of the road carefully rake6
over the spot. -
Then, looking closely at the hedge,
, perceived that the bushes were no long
er growing in their place. The entire
} hedge had been cut away level with the
ground for space Of several yards, ant
/ then replaced, the matted bushes being
! wired together so as to form sort o:
; gate or hurdle, like the furze hurdles il
5 common use in England and other coun
. tries. The leaves were already begin
r ming to droop from want of nourishmen
supplied by the roots.
t drew up my car close to tn
. hedge, and, mounting upon it, man
aged to scramble over into the wood
$ at the cost of some. scratches.
> ! found myself in the midst Of pile
Of brushwood which extended for some
! PAGES, completely covering the soil from
e view. Immediately beyond came ga1
$ in the trees, not in front, but at ont
f side, SO that it was quite Invisible from
: the road. Turning sharply towards tn,