The Jasper news., 1908-01-28


patches, which / am to deliver only
into the hands of. his excellency, the
president of the United States. The
accomplishment Of my mission may
have a grave bearing on this conflict,
and it possibly may prevent blood
she'd"
The colonel turned to one side and
threw down the playing cards which
he had been holding before making
any reply. His companions looked
highly Interested; but their faces gave
no hope.
"Mr. Hitler, there have been at
least 20 men before me with similar
important messages, many Of whom
have come direct from other foreign
powers. The first of these took from
them and sent forward by special
couriers of my own. In each case l
was given a reprimand. Come here"
he said, and preceded Hitler out into
the open, where bulletin board was
nailed against tree. In the very
center of a collection of orders pasted
thereon was one which read:
General Order No. 27,007: Order
No. 1904, which was delivered to all
officers, bulletined and read to all
men, permits of no modification what
ever. 1t read: No man shall pass
through the lines, either in or out,
and under no circumstances shall any
communication be passed, either in or
out, save on the written permit duly
sealed and signed by the president of
the United States.'"
rs that emphatic enough?" he
asked, turning to Hitler, who re.
luctantly admitted that it allowed of
no misinterpretation.
But" said the latter half jokingly
suppose l make run for it?"
In that case, Mr.. Hitler" the Off
Ger answered gravely, my men would
and 1 should be sorry to see man
whom l take to be a gentleman make
such an attempt. This may look like
play; but underneath gloved hands
along this border are the claws of war.
Don't, please, make me unsheath
them!"
The secretary, bafTled, declined the
proffer of drink, and was promptly
escorted back across the Canadian
lines; but ON the way he made new
plans. He was only rehuffed by his
first failure, and with doggedness he
set his jaws and swore that by some
means or other he would go to Wash
ington. Time was becoming more and
more valuable, so much of it had been
expended in his first inquiries and
overtures. He would now be driven to
stealth and disguise.
He returned to the city, bought a
| shabby suit of clothes from second
hand dealer, checked his luggage in
the hotel, put the precious dispatches
| in pocket within his shirt, and called
| for an automobile. The machine car
ried him rapidly down well-rolled
road till night fell when he paid the
chauffeur, and as an additional pre-
caution for the sake of secrecy walked
ahead till satisfied that he had put
many miles between himself and any.
one who might have observed his com
| ing.
He had seen enough during the day
| to be convinced that under ordinary
circumstances it would be impossible
| to pass the sentries, whose beats were
exceptionally short, and who formed
almost a continuous line as far as he
| had been able to observe. His in
quiries had elected the information
that somewhere in the vicinity small
river flowed between the two coun
tries, and he purposed using this tribu
tary of the st. Lawrence as a means
to gain the other country. His plan
was rendered more tenable because
the moon, being In the full, favored
him. The night itself seemed most
| propitious, as from the west a dark
bank of clouds was slowly coming for
ward, promising to lend obscurity at a
time when it should be most needed.
Cautiously he proceeded along the
river bank, gaining position in as
close proximity to the moving sentries
as he dared, then slipped off his cloth
ing, secured it into a bundle, anC
awaited the moment of darkness.
At the very instant when the edge
of the cloud began creeping across the
moon he lowered himself quietly into
the water and began swimming to
ward the boundary line. In his days
at Oxford he had been an athlete OIL
note, and in all his later years haG
maintained excellent physical condi
ton, and was thoroughly at home IL
| the wotar. He guam with Ion