The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-11-03

LA, very hungry, for the provisions
had all been flooded From Ishmailia
he took the railroad to Cairo, and
thence to Port Said, at the canal
head.
No shipping had been allowed to en-
ter the canal since the accident was
reported, and inside the breakwater
were already waiting a couple Of large
freighters, a big four-masted steel
clipper and an Austrian Lloyd mail
steamer. More ships continued to ar
rive, and Davenport sat on the end Of
the pier and watched them, sweeping
the horizon with a binocular for warn
ing smudges of smoke. Another
ocean tramp came in, an Italian liner
and a transport full of British troops
which at once made the port uproar-
ious. Then, about noon, a large war
ship appeared at full speed from the
west She was fast, had three tunnels,
and when she came near enough to
make it clear that she was flying the
French flag Davenport put his glass
into its case and sighed with relief.
Then he smiled thoughtfully.
Almost before she had lost way
boat was dropped over her side and
an officer was rowed rapidly to the
landing. Thence, with no less rapid
ity, he was driven in a hack to the
French consular Offices. In five min
utes he reappeared, accompanied by
the consul himself, and the pair hur-
ried to the offices of the Suez Canal
Company.
They came out again with no pleas
ant expression and both went down
to the pier and were taken aboard the
cruiser, which had not anchored, but
was lying to with steam up. In half
an hour the consul returned ashore,
accompanied this time by the captain
in a gorgeous full-dress uniform, and
slight dark-faced oriental-looking
youth, in the uniform of a French col
onel of cavalry.
Davenport had watched these com, |
ings and goings with deep and not
unintelligent interest. Indeed, it was
an awkward moment for blockade |
on the road to the east. Ten days be- /.
fore it had been secretly cabled to
Paris from the French legation in
Bangkok that the king of Siam was .
supposed to have been poisoned in .
the harem. He might live for weeks, |
he might even then be dying; it was |
impossible for an outsider to learn |
with accuracy of happenings in the I.
palace The kings eldest brother, the
cong Yai," was expected to succeed,
according to the immemorial custom
of the country. 1t was the moment
for which French diplomacy had been
waiting for years.
In the eyes of France, Siam has al
ways been regarded as the natural
of French Indo-China, and
it has been her constant aim to es-
tablish a suzerainty of some sort over
that state. Some years earlier the
growth of foreign customs had made
it probable that the right of royal sue
cession would be transferred to the
eldest son of the first queen, as among
western peoples, instead of remaining
with the "Ong Yai" About the same
time the French ambassador had
scored a success by inducing the king
TO send the young crown prince, Ohya
to Paris, to receive a for
eign education. Here he was officially
with royal honors, feted,
given rank in the French army and
to Partisan society and
vices. No expense was spared to inn
press upon his undeveloped mind the
Of France and the glory
If her institutions. BY this time he
vas premature roue, his nationality
1bliterated. his naturally feeble intel
Iect completely dazzled by the glitter
Of Europe. Once on the throne Of his
fathers he would be the merest tool
IN the hands of French diplomacy.
Everything depended upon getting
Inn to the Siamese capital before the
I'D king should expire The "ong
"a" was an energetic man of middle
ears. lie. controlled the army, he
lad the tremendous weight Of ancient
ustom to support his claim, and it
vas practically certain that. once pro
laimed sovereign, he would be sus-
aimed by the foreign governments, II I
,nly for the sake of peace. Possession
would mean all the points Of the law
md the road was barred by an in
ornal machine.
In the French consulate and on the
rench cruiser there was evaporation
I'd alarm The cables to the east