The Washington herald., 1914-12-20


yard of the valley below with a
powerful feld-glass, | detected no
trace of anything calling for inves-
tigation; in fact, l discerned no
signs of human life. By the time
had worked down to the railway
i began to fear that | was on a
false scent.
1t was in the night, after we had
pitched our camp close beside the
line, that the true solution occurred
to me. | rose and secretly crept
out OF my tent. eluding the solitary
watchman, and made my way along
the track Of the rails. After crop
ing and stumbling over the roughly
laid road for three or four miles. |
suddenly made discovery. The
line divided, sending off a branch
rail. which curved away to the
south.
| knew now what had become of
the missing gang Of prisoners, or
rather-for by this time | saw
more clearly-military recruits.
| also knew why l had missed
my way. The guide had led me to
the north of the line, and what |
had come 50 far to find Law to the
south.
! The next day | issued orders to
continue the march to the south
ward, crossing the railway. The
face of the guide when he received
this direction sufficiently showed
that was getting warm, as the
children say, at last. He made no
open renonstrancc, but in the
course OF the day | noticed that a
man and horse had disappeared.
] paid no attention to this proof
OF treachery. 1t came too late 10
affect me BY noon Of this first
dav after quitting the main line for
the south | was already in posses
sion OF the carefully guarded Sc
cret OF the Council of State.
There at my feet, along the wild
cning valley, lay a double line of
rails, cleaning blue in the sun
light. and all across the level space
at regular intervals stretched low
banks and bitches, the lines Of a
vast cncampmcnt. capable of &C
commodating half a million men.
Still farther on I had a glimpse of
the white sparkle of tents and piles
,of fresh-hewn timber, and | even
fanCied | could catch the faint hum
IOf voices and the thud of hammers
as the hidden army toiled away at
its barracks and intrenchments.
The meaning of the Peace Re-
script was manifest at last, and the
meaning was formidable indeed.
While appearing to disarm in con-
cert with the rest of Europe. Rus
sia's 5 intention was secretly to with
draw her enormous forces to this
unsuspected retreat, whence. at the
decisive moment, they would issue
like a creation OF magic to over
whelm the defenseless continent.
( Before | had made up my mind
whether to push my observations
further. | was alarmed to see a
Sotina OF Cossacks approaching, led
BY a Russian officer. Ny little
camp was quickly surrounded and
the officer presented himself before
/ me.
! The first words of the officer
showed me that he considered me
a spy and was prepared to hang
me out of hand.
Il know that it is my duty to ar
! rest YOU" he said.
AS to that, YOU will do as YOU
please. 1t will sound we'll in Paris
that every PrOspector who ventures
into Siberia with a view of deveI-
oping the resources of the country
exposes himself to the treatment OF
a spy. NJ. Witte will find it takes
some persuasion to secure another
French loan
In the end the Cossack officer
decided to escort me back to the
town where | had left the train and
hand me over to the civil authori-
ties. a decision which was assisted
by the usual methods Of persuasion
in the East. My friend. the Pre-
feet, already predispoSed in my ia
vor. required a somewhat heavier
bribe and finally | made assurance
doubly sure BY resuming nv jour
.ney eastward and leaving Russian
territory by way Of the Chinese
frontier.
1t was from the first telegraph
station in the Celestial Empire that
| sent the cipher dispatch to Con-
stantinople which was destined to
render abortive the much-talked-of
conference at The Hague:
Russia preparing enormous con-
cealed camp in Siberia, beside rail
way. to hide forces when nOminallv