The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-02-09
IN A LONDON FOG


London for six weeks. putting through
a patent on an invention of his that
had already been patented in the Unit
pd States, when he dropped into an eat
Ing house in street off the Strand one
day and there met foreigner who in
terested him.
He was a Russian, and also an in
ventor He called himself an inventor
of mechanical toys, and as the two be
came better acquainted he gave the
colonel his address and asked him to
call and see some of his work. Three
days later the colonel called. He found
his man on the third floor of a mean
house in a squalid street. The man had
rugged up a workbench and supplied
himself with tools, and what he was
really trying to do was to produce a
clock that should spring an internal
machine at the hour and minute in
tended.
The colonel was a big, unsuspicious
westerner, having no thought of plots
or conspiracies and perfectly willing to
give fellow inventor any help posi-
as many days, working for couple OF
hours each time, and then the inven-
ton was complete. The Russian, who
could speak English fairly well, had
completely bambooZled him as to the
object of the clockwork.
One night, three weeks after the Rus
sian had dropped out of sight, the colo
81 Il InI 20 hn a
sat through the performance and came
out, as others did, to find a fog so
thick that one could hardly see his
hand when stretched out the length
OF the arm. He had not far to CO.
however-three blocks down the street
and then turn to the left and go one
block to the corner house. He could
have done that with his eyes shut
There were pedestrians ahead and I'D
rear of him as he made his way down
20 the corner, but standing there a mo-
ment he realized that no one had turssd
into the side street.
Suddenly, and without the slightest
warning, he was seized by two men.
AS one put a knee in the small Of his
back and bent him over the other clap
ped a pad over his mouth to prevent
him from uttering any sounds. In a
moment more they had him in some
kind of carriage and moving slowly
away, a man sitting on either side Of
him. The driver Of the vehicle must
have been well acquainted with Lon
don. He guided the horse through the
II do ly ff~efb ort6,. Of
hour before he stopped.
Meanwhile not a word had been
spoken by those in the carriage. 1t
seemed to be the plan of the abductOrs
not to speak, and, as for the colonel, the
pad prevented He could get his breath
through bis nose, but his mouth was
tightly covered. His hands had not
been bound, but strong fingers held
them in grip Of iron all the way.
When the vehicle stopped it was by
quayside. The colonel knew that, be-
cause he could hear and smell the wa
ter He also realized that his captors
walked him up gang plank and aboard
a steamer. Once aboard, there We're
men with lanterns and there were cleo
trio lights, but so dense was the fog
and so quiet everything around that
nothing seemed real until he was final
ly landed in a sumptuous cabin. There
the men let go of him and stood back.
and the colonel looked around him TO
find two men seated at a table. He
knew them at once for Russians, and
he saw that he had been made prisoner.
Ivan Moskow, advance" said one
Of the men at the table after the silence
had lasted for a minute.
DO you mean me?" queried the colo
mel as he walked forward
His speech betrayed his nationality
in Il second, and both men uttered a
curse.
What are you doing here?" was
asked
Il was brought here by force, and I
should like to know the meaning Of
it."
The man tapped bell, and young
man who might have been his secre-
tary entered. The talk was IN Russian,
and an explanation seemed to be de-
manded. 1t was made, but it did not
satisfy. There was loud and violent
talk for ten minutes, and then the
young man retired and the colonel was
asked:
do you know a Russian anarchist
named Petroff Misky?"
L have met him." was the reply.
did you aid him to make an internal
machine"'
Never! I aided him to complete
mechanical toy"
And you are who and whatw
The colonel gave his name, address
and business. He had certain papers
with him. These We're taken and care
fully read, and after awhile the Rus
sian said:
1T may be that there is a mistake.
We shall know in a day or two"
And am l to be held prisoner while
you take sour time to find out that I
have told the truth?"
You may call it lucky for YOU that
you are. If there wasn't doubt about
the matter this steamer would be at
sea at sunrise"
The colonel began to protest, but he
was hustled into cabin, told to make
himself comfortable, and for forty.