The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-10-28

with iuck, my dear chap, we shall be
back in time for the Gentleman and
Players next week"
Basil lifted his great cut-glass flagon
of amber-colored beer, raised its
heavy lead cap, and drank deeply.
1T seems odd" he said, with a
shrug, ito think hat we are here now
ON this business, and next week we
shall be up at Lords"
Grant answered with a low laugh.
1T does, doesn't it," he said; "but we
are going to pull this off all right-you
and L."
"Of course we are" the sailor an
swered, with absolute confidence, nor
was there any note in his voice which
betrayed an uneasiness or fear, en-
d~eavoring to bolster itself up by the
reiteration of a hope. The two young
men were perfectly calm and self-con-
tanned. They were on the very verge
of an enterprise as dangerous and ter
rifying as could be found in all Europe
at that moment; but, with the curious
heritage of British manhood, the near
or the danger was, the calmer and
more insouciant they became.
Your Frenchman or your Italian Is
temperamentally as brave as your
Briton, but he goes into peril strung
up, with all his nerves aflame, so that
the mere superficial observer might
imagine that he was afraid, though
subsequent vents would very soon
prove the contrary. Your German goes
into action with a grim face and shut
lips, and he also Is a brave a But
1t Is the fashion of the flower of the
youth of England to enter upon the
great sporting chances of life or death
for duty with a joke and a smile.
They did not talk much about what
they were going to do, these two
young men. The whole thing had
been most carefully planned and ar
ranged beforehand, but they preferred
to relieve their minds Of the pressure
of imminent endeavor by ordinary
talk.
The big German clock upon the wall
licked away the half-hour to its close,
while the light of the lamp shone
family upon the progress Of the
carved wooden hand in its memorable
movement.
Exactly as half-past nine was indi.
Gated the door opened and the engt-
neer zane in. In his hand he carried
an ordinary letter, with stamp and
post-mark.
This has Just arrived to me-" he
said" land inside there Is an envelope
for the Herr Grant"
Michael took the enclosure, tore 1t
open, read it, and nodded to Basil.
THAT is all right" he said. THE
Duchess and Daisy and the maid have
safely left the Prinzessinhof. This let
ter was posted in the station, as / see
by the postmark. They will be wait
ing at Sc~hwedelburg in the early
morning for us. There is, as we have
been told, a little village down there,
and a small quay, at which the barges
coming up to Neutrality-suspicious. stop
for a day to take in supplies"
That is all right, then" Basil re-
turned. Now, then, we're ready,
aren't WEI"
Quite ready, sir" Dietrich replied.
81 think 1t would be as well now il you
were to come into the other room"
They followed him into the small
apartment opening out of the passage,
and, taking off their boots, put on
others of black leather. the soles Of
which were of india-rubber. Both men
were wearing dark trousers. They
had taken off their coats and had
slipped on black yacht jerseys, and
dark caps which could be pulled down
right over their faces.
Then Dietrich handed each of them
a little g~listening Webley revolver,
snatching open the breech covers as
he did so to show that they were load
ed In every chamber with 297/250. He
also gave to Michael Grant a small OBJ
ject Of a foot long, like a stick with a
bulb at each end, both the shank and
the bulbs being covered with leather.
'Halloa!" Grant said, as he took the
thing; "a life-preserver!"
"Yes," the German answered. "It
will make less noise. 1t Is very flexi-
BILE, Is II not?"
Grant shook the deadly little
weapon. and 1t swayed in his hands.
Flexible" he said. 1T is more than
that! 1t Is murderous."
You will find 1t very useful, mein
Herr, without Doubt" the engineer
answered. But be careful, IL you use
it, that you don't hit too hard. One
little tap is quite enough! You don't
want to kill, but to stun only!s
Grant nodded and pushed the thing
into his pocket, and then the three
men-all dressed exactly alike In their
dark clothes. with no distinguishing
mark-went noiselessly out Of the
house and down the few sloping yards
of the street to the quay.
They descended some stone steps
cut into the quay wall, and boarded a
long-decked electric launch, with a
cabin amidships. which lay gently
falling and rising with the water.
AS Basil got on deck he suddenly
gave an amazed exclamation.
"Cood ave what is this?" he