The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-15
A Nest
Of Spies
By DONALD CHAMBERLIN

Captain Robert Edgerton of the staff
Of a general commanding tAe right
wing of the British troops in France
was directed to take an important COM
munkation to the general commanding
the left wing of the same army. 1t |
was contained in a fat envelope and
must be carried in the captains side
coat pocket.
Edgerton took with him an orderly, |
an Irishman named Michael Farriday,
recommended by his company comman-
der for possessing n cool head. Mike. |
like good soldier who knew his place.
rode forty PAGES to the rear whenever
there was no especial danger.
The two zigzagged along, sometimes |
In advance of the British line, some |
times in the rear. At one moment they |
would be riding through shot and shell. |
at another would be where there was |
all the quiet of a rural cemetery. The |
captain had been told that there was
no need for hurry; all that was ex-
pected of him was to get the mes
sage through during the day. At noon
he stopped at a house and asked for
some dinner. The occupant claimed to
be Frenchman, but. Edgerton could
not make out exactly what was his
native nationality. At any rate, he
| spoke a kind of French to which the
| captain was not used. The day was
I warm. the roads dusty, and the officer,
who was an English gentleman and
could not brook dirt, asked to be
shown place where he could wash
his face and hands.
His host showed him to n room on
| the second floor, where the captain
took of his uniform coat and plunged
his face into basin of water. When
he had finished his host stood with his
coat in his hands ready to help him
| put it on. The man had already brush
ed off the dust, doing the work while
the captains face and eyes were COW
cred either with water or a towel.
And this was no brief time. for If
there is one thing about which an
Englishman is particular it is his ablu-
lions.
AS soon as Edgerton had buttoned
his coat he put his hand to his breast
to feel If the message was still there
and, feeling its bulk, complacently de-
scended to the dinner table. A woman
had cooked the meal, but she said
nothing to the captain, who ate while
the Others served him. The man talk
ed a good deal about the war, was very
bitter against the Germans and hoped
they would soon be driven from French
territory. He was continually going
out to the kitchen for dishes, and on
one of these exits Edgerton heard him
speak a few words to the woman.
Now, Edgerton was Cambridge pro-
fessor of languages. The words spo-
ken were Persian. They were said In
Il tone so low that he could hear only
few of them. These were BE ready
to- a vague feeling that something
was wrong about the couple seized
upon Edgerton, and he involuntarily
put his hand to his breast to see that
his dispatch was there. Feeling it's
bulk he was again satisfied. Before
leaving he offered to pay for his din
ner, but the man was too good a pa
triot to take anything.
Meanwhile, the orderly remained
without, munching a piece of bread
and meat the woman had given him.
As soon as the captain appeared Mike
led his horse to him. Edgerton mount
ed, and the two started ON their jour
ney. They had not gone far before
Mike called from the rear:
"Captain"
"WeliY' turning in his saddle.
Have ye the dispatch?'
Certainly I have Why do you
ask?"
"Thlm's not Trenches; they're Turks
or somethin' O. the like"
Edgerton unbuttoned his coat, took
out what he had been supposing to be
his dispatch to find that it was news
paper folded to the shape of the pack
age with which he had started on his
mission. He was thunderstruck. Turn
ing, without word he rode back to
the house he had just left. 1t was de-
J serted.
Mike, who had meanwhile caught
sight Of something fitting through a
wood, gave chase and returned with
the woman. She had carried the dis
patch, dropped 1t, and Mike had his
grip on 1t.
ride for the nearest troopsw cried
Edgerton, "and bring them. We've
stepped into nest Of spiesr'
The captain remained where he was,
guarding the woman, and In a few
minutes Mike returned with a small
troop OF cavalrymen. They beat the
bushes and captured the man.
Edgerton narrated what had occur
red to the officer in command, who
told him that information had been
going to the enemy from some source
and they had been unable to locate It.
The house was carefully examined
and under 1t was found a telephone
machine, from which a wire ran un.
foreground to a hill occupied by the
enemy.
} Edgerton, having given his testimo-
ny, rode on, delivered his message, and
when he returned on passing the house
: where he had dined he found it RACED
The occupants had both been shot. As
Edgerton rode on he unused aloud:
al wonder how they got that dis
patch without my knowing it'll"
+ What were ye dom all the time
captain?'
Edgerton told him how he had wash
ed and dried his face
Faith, captain" said Mike, I'VE cam
see with your eyes full Of water OIL