Charlevoix county herald., 1912-01-06


NV the Persian gulf and OF the
W w efforts to suppress the traf'
fc. A military expedition
recently left Bombay to cooperate
with the British navy in an endeavor
20 stop the smuggling of arms. The
illustration will afford an excellent
idea of how this work is being carried
out by sepoys, who are here seen en-
'trenched on the sea coast in readiness
and on the lookout for gun-running
natives, who have now practically sew
cred themselves from Persian control
and are equipped with modern fire
arms.
Gun-running is dangerous business
TN any country. An old gun-runner in
New York said recently:
Il have carried guns over the Afg-
han frontier, across the northern bor-
ders of India into Afghanistan. when
a rifle would be worth upon delivery
literally it's weight in silver 1t would
be taken from off the camePs back
and put into a balance, bars OF silver
weighing down the other side. But it
meant many privations and much toll.
Very nearly all the time there's
ygun-running out of New York. The
vessels invariably start from Brook
iyn. 1t is quieter there. fewer people
late at night in the streets and a
small craft somehow looks more nat
uraf- there. i find myself some dark
night at eleven o'clock down by the
waters edge in Brooklyn waiting for
the trucks. Everything has been ar
ranged; nobody is to see anything.
BY singular coincidence this night
the approach to the pier and the pier
Itself are strangely deserted. The only
footballs are those | occasionally hear
of my two trustworthy assistants
Like myself they are dressed to look
like the better grade of labSring men.
They have been with me so often that
they know just what | want. They
patrol, scenting out possible danger
and any hint of the unusual.
1--WE have guarded every avenue,
but we are never safe. Somebody
may get wind of what is being done
At any moment polite may spring out
upon us. Detectives may be on our
trail. If they were they would work
secretly like us and overwhelm us
suddenly. The harbor police must be
looked out for. In the stream noise
Iessly patroling back and forth have
two tugs. plan so that every quar-
ter hour can be where | can get sig
mails from them.
Anxiety of the Gun-Runner.
Nothing has ever happened yet.
but any time something may. These
are the most awful nights of my life,
though | have passed through them
many times. The vast responsibility,
the complicated machine have set up
and that may go to pieces any Sec
ond. the possibility of the unexpected
and the dreary waiting leave me,
when the ship has safely pulled out
and is disappearing down the stream,
so weak and shaking that | can hard
ty stand. | get to ny home just after
daylight and cannot sleep for hours.
The trucks / have hired are timed
to get to the pier head at a few min
utes after eleven. They must not un-
der any circumstances arrive before
1t; it is probable they will be a little
late. Their drivers handle them most
-circumspectly and carefully so as not
10 attract any attention. AS the Sec
onds pass and listen for the noise OF
wheels | break into a cold sweat lest
the wagons might have been held up.
I know they have safely started A
messenger from New York saw them
loaded and leave and came TO me by
trolley car bringing this news Later a
messenger stationed half way in
formed me they were still safe
More than half my strain is over
when the trucks arrive. On the spot
I feel | have a fair chance OF con-
trolling conditions. But am help
less, or feel | am, as wait for the
sound of the wheels.
THE ship has been ready to sail
since early morning. She is carrying
down south a cargo OF salt and corn.
The papers were signed during the
day and she was scheduled to sail,
so II was given out, with the after
moon tide Some pretext. however. de.