Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1914-01-23


ment of its funds, / shall be assisting
the cause of humanity"
We were in Berlin. The Morocco
affair had stirred all Europe, and
war between the Teuton and the Gaul
was believed to be imminent. All
Berlin was ahame with enthusiasm.
Nikolai, passing patriotic process
sion, laughed scornfully.
And this the folly of these silly
sheep OF which the government hopes
to reap the advantage by an unpar-
donable attack on France" he said.
"It would be charity to prevent it."
Prevent war;" exclaimed.
Nikolai turned to me. What
makes war possible?" he asked.
Money" answered promptly.
And the German governments war
fund is"
I'm the fortress of Spandau,' / ex-
claimed, suddenly enlightened.
Everybody knows that after France
had paid Germany a huge monetary
indemnity In 1871, the Teutonfc gov
eminent set aside a war fund of sew
eral million pounds in gold, which was
lmmured in the recesses of the for
tress of spandau. nine miles from Ber-
lin. And it was this sum that Nikolai
contemplated raiding.
confess the audacity of the scheme
staggered me. Even knowing Nikolai
as did, the idea appeared to me in
credible. Yet here was this one man
calmly proposing to loot the treasures
of the kaiser, and those buried in the
powerful fortresses.
The evening papers were full OF war
news. Among other items we CLEANED
that the guns of Spandau were about
to be dismounted and sent to the
frontier, to help bverawe the French
government 1t was the policy Of
Germany to obtain her ends peace
fully If possible. In consequences,
the publication OF these items, as cal.
culated to terrorize France, was
rather encouraged. The papers teemed
with stories of the preparations for
mobilization.
Among other things we read that a
cargo OF shrapnel shells was to be
hurried to Spandau, and thence to be
conveyed with the guns to waste
territory in Alsace, used by the gov.
eminent for war manoeuvres on a
large scale. Extensive firing practice,
we learned, was to be carried on
there, and, if the French government
did not then come to terms, the mimic
war would be converted into reality
Nikolai was morose on the follow
ing day. think the magnitude Of his
scheme was now better realized by
him. Together we haunted the vic
Unity of the freight yards.
Those shells will arrive from the
Krupp factories" he mediated. Sum
mers, 1t will be our task to convey
them to Spandau in person"
But how?" asked
Nikolai smiled. in bureaucracy,
he answered, everything is possible
And he made an appointment to meet
me at the freight yards at sever
o'clock that evening.
That was the hour at which the spe
cial train, bearing the load of shells
was due to arrive. Everything goes
by clockwork in Germany, and punct
ually at seven o'clock the train en-
tered the station, the great shells
openly displayed in the cars. Upon the
engine was representative of the
Krupp works.
Disguised as a mechanic, | waited
| terrified lest at any moment some o
the officers should inquire my bust
ness. But they we're too much alb
sorbed with the affairs in hand. A
tall officer in uniform, wearing crossed
swords upon his shoulders, stepped
forward among those waiting and dis
played an order gasped: It wa
Nikolai himself.
He beckoned me and said. with as
Bumed roughness:
Il want you, my man, to help unloa,
this cargo at its destination" Then
turning to the officers assembled, h,
added:
You see. gentlemen, 1t is the EN-
peror's special order. These she'll
must be run in. to Spandau this eve
ming or I cannot answer for the con
sequences"
They did not scrutinize the pape
hard. They saw the signature of tn
kaiser and saluted. Then, turning t
the station agent, Nikolai commando
that the train be shunted to the priv
ate line which runs direct to tn
fortress.
Half an hour later the train wa
in motion. Nikolai and | rode upo
the engine, our solitary companion be
ing the driver, whose duty would b
completed when he had taken tn
train to its destination. A brief ru
brought us within sight of the frowr
ing fortress, bastion strong enoug
to have detied centuries of time an
all the artillery of any hostile army
Yet Nikolai had set himself to captur
it's treasures!
The train ran right within the wall
and halted in a wide square inside
around which the great black hulk
of the guns doomed like some prehis
toric monsters. Soldiers were pass
Ing busily to AND fro: none of then
however, paid any attention to VI
They had their orders. and In Gel
many peddling with external affair
is discouraged. Niko1ai stepped O
and proceeded toward little archwa
which led to the quarters of the con
manding officer. Presently the tw
emerged together.
"Your Excellency." said Nikolai, =