Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1914-05-21
The Burning of
BQtO1I111
downright. 1918. by w. G. Chapman
An Audacious Hazard Of Nkolai Independent Agent as
Related by His Lieutenant, Summers
BY H. M. EGBERT


citedly. Il will lead battalion
there" h, cried. AT once!"
1T is not 80 easy as that Nikolai
responded. The house is fortified;
they have three pieces Of artillery,
which they brought in, in oil drums.
And there are two hundred men with
Mausers and Browning pistols. Why,
general, the town is full of American
correspondents, and since his majesty
was mistakenly persuaded into relax
ing the censorship Of the press, they
would telegraph to their papers that
civil war has broken out. How would
that affect your interests?'
The general sank back into his
chair. but ] must have them," he
muttered, wiping the sweat from his
brow. What shall do?'
Give me six men tomorrow eve
ming" said Nikolai. Let them meet
me at the corner of Presbykoff street
with picks and shovels That Is all
| require to extermnate revolution in
Batoum."
Anu uS "tHl VII W thpouiiu HIS
scheme. AS Kaulbars listened | saw
the sweat start out upon his face
again; | could not understand the
words Nikolai uttered, but | could see
that Kaulbars was badly terrified. At
last he stood up.
Il agree" he said. But, one Of the
six goes armed. And, at the first sign
of treachery, he will shoot you. You
see" he went on apologetically, these
cursed Nihilists have taken to forging
badges of the Black Hundred now,
and it is my duty to be on guard
against every man. Curse this ap-
pointment! wish | We're back in
St Petersburg. Yes, one of the six
goes armed. And shall be that,
Captain-?"
"Skobelof," said Nikolai with a
bow; and then We left him.
When We were back in our quar-
ters Nikolai explained his scheme to
me.
II told the governor general he
said, that the Nihilists, working as
succeeded in laying dynamite mine
under the palace, controlled by an
electric wire which runs from their
headquarters in the suburbs, mile
away. or course he wanted to dig it
up. represented that such an at
tempt would have disastrous results,
and propounded an alternative
scheme. The other end of the wire,
| explained, runs into their arsenal.
BY disconnecting the wire midway,
and establishing miniature battery
underground the current can be re-
versed and sent into the revolu
tionists' headquarters, where an ac-
complice will have affixed a side-wire
running into the revolutionists cor
dite store. One touch Of button,
and the fort goes into the air Picture
the generals joy! | found by few
judicous questions, that he knows
nothing at all Of electricity He is
too terrified to remain in the palace,
so he himself will take charge Of
the party of eXcavators; and at the
first sign of treachery, he will shoot
| told him that it might be necessary
to destroy a few harmless people
in blowing up the fort. Burn the
whole cursed town, II you want to-,
he answered SO there you are, Sum-
mers."
Then from desk he drew large
sheet of blue paper, which he spread
out on the table in front OF him.
do you know what this is?" he
asked.
saw multitude OF white and red
lines traced upon 1t, but their mean
ing was incomprehensible to me.
This" said Nikolai, "is a map Of
the underground city of Batoum. 1t
is the only complete map in existence,
although, OF course, 1t exists in sec
tions. The sewers are known to the
sewage department, for instance, and
the gas mains to the gas companies.
1t was prepared for the inner section
by one of the city engineers. 1t Is
very useful to know what one is living
over.
Here" he continued, tracing his
finger along a series Of thick white
lines, ARE the sewers, which come to
the surface in the suburbs as open
bitches. Here are the gas mains
not many of them as yet" He pointed
to a broad ribbon Of red which shot
into the map from without and
divided into several branches, all ter
minating in parallel lines along the
waterfront What do you suppose
these to be?' he asked.
! shook my head.
THAT is the underground pipe line.
1t runs from the oil gushers toward
the mountains through the city, taps
some local gushers, and connects with
The terminal refineries. The crude oil
is there converted into the CONNER
cial product, and loaded upon the
ships-or, In our case, pumped
through a submarine pipe into the
hold of the Caspian. Now do you
begin to glimpse my plan?'
II understand that you are to blow
up some buildings with dynamite,
which the governor general will think
are strongholds of the Nihilists,' | an
swered but what that has to do
with the pipe line, or how you will
blow up the Caspian, Is still puzzle
to me-"
You are very slow at deduction"
said Nikolai impatiently. Now let
me explain fully. We are not going