Smyrna times., 1916-09-06
The Phantom Spy

raculously on the wall Of the basilic,
as soon as the day approaches wber
the Turks are to be driven back r.
Asia forever.
Colonel S.. Russian ofTicar ~
a special mission to France. said in
his pleasant French:
Yes, few legends will look we'll
as arabesques around the monument
we are now building. Future poets
VIII have reason 10 feel grateful To
us there will be plenty of legends
! have even been told that l am 10
hgure personally in one of them.
Let me 20 back 10 the end Of JuIv
last We were all making desperate
efforts to keep on believing in peace
In vain. we all knew, or rather felt
that they wanted war. Just as we feel
that We were surrounded on everv
SIDE by their clever spies. whom we
could not catch. This sensation Of
continually being spied upon became
so strong with me that fel; il almost
as physical pain.
On the other side i became n,c.
essary to undertake a counter-attscL
rs here was certain information ve
must have as soon as possible II
was delicate task in those circum-
stances and | could not think Of
single person to whom | dared con6de
The task.
AT last one of my officers to whom
mad mentioned the matter said
/ believe ! have found the man.
he introduced him to me and
had only had a short talk with him
when became conyince1 that he was
Just the one wanted. 1t is difficuIt
to give you an idea of his appearance
All can say'is that he was short
rather stout. with forid face. small
eyes without expression. a low fore.
head and brown hair. quietly dressed
and insignificant in his manner No
was about 40 years old His nsra
was Birkai and he was born at Smv,ns
Dt Syrian mother and Persian
father. For two years he had practi-
,ed as dentist at Moscow but ba .Iso
sold Jewelry and real pearls to ladies
't the demimonde and q good manv
more false ones'to cheap jewelers.
ot course, you have worked be.
fore, | said to him
" Yes. Colonel he replied quietly
= started in Manchuria. working
'gainst you
= Good. | hope we shall be able
% agree as regards conditions ether
wise
AN | have to DO IS to forget
hat | have had the honor TO be re-
'eived by you. Ny local passport
as well as my foreign one is in order
md even if decided to leave Won
would discover nothing which would
'ause you to deal vigorously with
ne
Well. you understand. gentlemen.
'ur modern wars. too. have their
nercenaries. but nowadays we mako
hem soldiers in a certain sbadouy
lrmy where the risks are great. and
which gives Us certain repulsive
ceiling like everything else that thrive
n darkness. The Kaiser has the sa5
privilege of always being able TO f nd
'ienty of suitable individuals among
us own subjects. while we have N
rust to foreigners. men without s,v
ountry. and whose services are at the
isposal of the highest bidder. We
would never think of shaking hands
With them and still when tbev nor.
orm their tasks well we have >
ertain confidence in them.
Well | decided to engage Birkai
or the duration of the war. He was
xpensive, but, as | have said he
me as being the man I
'anted and the same evening be started
n his duties after receiving a hand.
ONE amount in advance The val
able services he rendered Us during
he mobilization and later in Galicia
well you will understand that the
ime has hardly come yet to mention
hese things aloud. ana besides. tbev
ave no connection with my story.
This went on for more than four
lonths. during which more than
nee had reason to congratulate nv.
Elf that l had secured the services
Birkai. But unfortunately some
hing happened which caused me To
tier my opinion Several strange
larming events took place. Time
nd again artillery fire obliged us to
nange the position of our batteries
1ick'y from places where we had
sason to think they were impossible
} discover.
One day Birkai. who had been
rdered by me TO reconnoiter in
nall viliaua - T.,..e - -. -