The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-14
CHAPTER XVIII.
Flight.

The MEETING with the troops proved
to be an Invaluable incident
There had been tense moment when
the question whether Bremenhof would
attempt treachery still hung in the bal
ance. A moment more thrilling than
any had ever known in my life.
With his lame and craven submission,
however, a change seemed to come in
everything. That 1 could compel him
TO cross the city in broad daylight when
hundreds of his police and soldiers were
swarming everywhere, and so brighten
him as to prevent him raising an alarm
had seemed n anticipation little more
than the merest forlorn hope.
But when at the first test he had
yielded abjectedly my confidence was
so strengthened and my domination over
him so confirmed that the thing be-
came almost simple and commonplace.
We met other bodies of police and
military as we dashed over the snow to
the merry peal of our sleigh bells, but
not once was there even the threat of
trouble.
1t was rather as though we were
making a tour of inspection together,
Jointly interested in the police and mill
tary preparations for coping with the
excited pOpulace.
We passed many evidences of the
popular unrest. But Ladislas had ap-
parently given the driver very shrewd
instructions as to his route, for hot
once did we drive through a street where
any actual disturbance was in progress.
More than once we saw conflicts go
ing on between the troops or police and
the mob. But always from a safe dis
lance. More than once, too, we passed
where trouble had broken out. Wrecked
houses and workshops told Of the an
ger of the people. and grim patches of
bloOd-stained snow testified that the
troops were not in the city for moth
ing.
Here and there we passed strikers
whose limping walk, bandaged limbs oil
bleeding faces bore evidence of recent
fighting, and we drove rapidly past
more than one small group gathered
pale-faced and sorrowful about figure
stretched at length on the snow. These
things told their own tale.
Twice Bremenhof was recognized, an6
bowls and shouts and bitter curses were
hurled at US. Once we were followed
stones were thrown, and even a couple
Of shots fired after US, but the swiftnes:
of our horses quickly carried out out oil
danger.
I could not help specializing what the
crowd would have said and done hae
they known the mission on which We
were bent, and the grim cause which
had brought US two together upon tina
strange ride.
We reached his house in safety and
as the driver refined up his painting
horses braced myself for the final tria
of nerves.
Remember my OATH" I whispered al
| together we mounted the steps side BY
side. My fear was that as soon as h,
found himself once more in the mids
of his men, his courage would return
sufficiently for him to at least put VI
some show of fight.
Had he done so he must have heater
me. Despite my oath and all my fierce
" spoken threats, I had no intention o.
shooting him. It was all just bluff OF
my part; but I had acted we'll enough
to prevent his having any suspicion o
this. He was convinced that 1 was il
| grim, deadly earnest, and that his lif
| hung on a thread, and he was pol
| trOOn enough to buy it at any cost
The proceedings in the house wer'
very brief.
He went straight to the library ant
! sent the man on guard out of the room
/ He was as anxious to be relieved from
/ the menacing barrel of my revolver a
I was to get the papers and be off.
! In silence he opened the safe and afte
a hurried search found the papers an,
offered them to me. They made a some
what bulky package.
"Show me-" 1 said.
He opened the package and held eacl
while I ran my eye over it and thel
folded them together i'm the portfoli
and handed il 10 me.
zone thing more written author
ity from you to me in open terms. Jus
! write "Fhe bearer is acting by my au
thority.' signed and sealed officially
Without hesitation he obeyed an
wrote what ] wanted.
you will accompany me to tn
Sleigh" said, as 1 pocketed the paper
We left the room together arm Il
arm, just as we had entered it. passe
the men in the hall and down the step
TO the sleigh.
Then I saw trouble
Some distance up the street a patrol o
mounted police riding toward us at tn
walk, and in an instant l perceived tn
| danger this spelt for me.
So did Bremenhof The sight scenes
to rouse his long dormant courage. II
pushed me away from him, jumps
I DdGh anu O1itEu III a tOAU AtLiB NOAA
for help.
The police came running out from hi
house, the patrol pricked up thei
horses, and as ] sprang into the sleig
the street seemed suddenly alive wit
men.
My driver knew his business, how
| yer. The horses he had were spirite
and full of blood, and i'm a moment W
we're rafting along at full speed, tn
bells ringing and iingling furiously, tn
driver shouting lusty warnings, and tn
sleigh jumping and iolting so that
had to grip tight to save myself froT
being thrown out.
The patrol pulled up to speak wit
Bremenhof, ana. as we dashed round
corner, l saw him mount one of tn
horses and come gathering after u;
leading the rest in hot pursuit.
But we had a good start by tina
time. and my driver. guiding his tear
with rare skill and judgment. made
dozen quick turns through short streets
This prevented our pursuers from spur
ring their animals to the gallop. kep
them IN doubt as the direction we ha
taken, and thus minimized their advan
tage of saddle over harness.
To that maneuver was due our sue
cess in evading immediate capture.
Doubtful of ultimate success i'm sue
chase, however, l proposed to tn
driver to pull up and let me get ava
| on foot.
'.The count is close here, he replied
TO my great surprise; and after we ha
raced along I'm this fashion for som
ten minutes, ] saw Volna and LadlsIa
waiting at a corner The driver pulle
up, and they jumped in.
"Sergius was to look for us here.
said Ladislas, in explanation. "Wha
has happened?"