River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-01-01


Wei, can't you read?" snapped
Nikolai, as the soldier still barred the
way.
mo, excellency," replied the man
humbly.
Fool. Do you know your emper-
or's signature?"
mo, excellency." the soldier an
swered humb,y. NO one bnt General
Faber passes Through this door Those
are his orders
AS Nikolai still made toward the
door there came a clatter OF steel. and
simultaneously the two guards had
snatched up their rifles and fitted bay
onets to them. l laid my hand on my
revolver; then ! saw that Nikolai was
still expostulating with the men.
What are your exact orders, dolts ,"
he asked. And then the men replied in
chorus:
1T is forbidden that anyone except
his excellency. General Faber, passes
through this DOOR"
Well said" cried Nikolai heartily,
clapping the nearest man upon the
back. Il was but testing you. l shall
report your good conduct to our en-
peror himself" The soldiers present
ed bayonets at the name. And now,
my men, he continued, handing the
key 20 one of the guard do you take
this and turn the lock until you see
the number 975 appear-see, / will
show you. Now turn it and enter"
The soldier took the key and opened
the door obediently. AS it swung back
a blaze of electric light flooded the
chamber. And | staggered back in
establishment. I saw establishment
upon Nikolais face. establishment
upon the stolid countenances of the
guards. For the vault beyond was
heaped with shining coins.
There they lay. just as they had
been flung in 1871. But the sacks
which had contained them had mOul-
dered under the touch of time. and the
floor was heaped ceiling high with
gold pieces. They lay like flakes of
golden grain, shining and scintillating
in the electric glow.
Enter, men, and gather 1000
pieces" said Nikolai. And the men
obeyed him and staggered toward
him, carrying the coins in pieces of
rotting sackcloth.
Close the door and remain on
guard said Nikolai. With our peck
cts filled and also bearing precious
cargo in our arms, we staggered out.
At the second door, however, Nikolai
halted
An officer may not carry bun
de-" he said. Summers, l must
transfer this freight to you. Can you
carry it,"
1t was the heaviest burden
had carried i'll my life. l staggered
through the passage, Nikolai beside
me. At the outermost door he whis-
pered his final Instructions.
Dump them in the freight cars" he
whispered. In the first car are tools.
Unscrew the shells, pour out the
shrapnel. and fill them. You under
stand? ! shall be with you
We passed out of the courtyard.
Tho soldiers stood in columns OF four,
but at word from Nikolai, they with
drew and formed hollow square at
some distance from the cars. The
night was moonless; cur operations
were hardly visible.
When | had deposited my burden in
the car, Nikolai and | went back for
more Twenty times we made that
journey, and every time the soldiers
brought out the coins to us. And, at
the twenty-first we had made scarcely
an impression upon the shining hoard.
Reluctantly Nikolai gave the final or
der to close the door.
Then all through the night | toiled,
filling the shells. I lifted them into
the cars one by one, unscrewed the
projectiles, filled them with coins, and
poured out the shrapnel, until, in
place of the golden flood that -apped
my feet there was q stream of leaden
bullets. 1t was dawn before my task
was done
1t was done at last. The shells were
screwed fast in the breaking light
Nikolai and | looked into each others
haggard faces. And we read in each
others eyes that we had miserably
failed
For neither of us had estimated In
any degree the magnitude Of our task.
We had not known how very few
gold pieces prove the limit of man S
strength. We had removed 10000
pieces of gold, worth roughly 100000
100000, when there remained 10,
100000 pieces behind!
With bleeding hands | descended
from tie cars Nkolai called to the
driver who was doing upon his en-
CINE. The cars were uncoupled, 1t
seemed hours before we got up steam,
while the day lighted and | waited in
an agony of apprehension. At last
the engine was in readiness to move.
We sprang aboard, the wheels re-
yolved, and as the sun rose we passed
through the fortress gates into the
open country beyond We had plum
dered Spandau; but where was our
gain?
That" said Nikolai, remains for
future gathering. When the shells
burst upon the practice field in AL
SAGE there will be good gold pieces
sown among the weeds for our pick
ing up And so he began to laugh
1t was scheme Matched in the most
fantastic brain that ever a sane man
possessed. We had filled the shells
with gold that we might pick up the
contents after the big guns had fired
at the practice targets on the waste
ground, But the war scare blew over.
and Spardau's guns were never moved
Doubtless our gold-flIed shells still re.
pose in the arsenal at Spardau.