Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-03-09

However. this did not accord with my
plans. I had intended to use the dunn
my In another way and farther on In
my journey. Now l had lost 1t, and
my enemies had possession of evidence
that | was a messenger from the Brit
ish government. This latter considera-
ton did not trouble me much, for 1t
was clear that they knew all about me.
However, there was one advantage
in their having the dummy. They
must have believed they had the dis
patch | carried, for | saw nothing
more of them till | arrived at Mar
seilles. My theory Is that they were
understrappers, with no authority to
open the dispatch, put took 1t to some
n who had such power, and this oc-
casioned delay while l went my way.
But they did not lose track of me,
for the man / had seen observing me
OIL the train from London to South
ampton kept me in sight. At Mar
settles l had two problems to settle.
Should | go farther by land or all the
way by sea? And how could | throw
my shadower off my track? | con-
Guided that, whichever way l went, 1
would endeavor to make him believe
that ! had gone the other.
I had a trunk with me, and as soon
as | could get possession of it l called
a facre and. putting the trunk in it,
got in the cab and told the driver to
take me to the station of the railway
running eastward along the Mediter-
ranean. On reaching the station l bill
ed the trunk for Nice; but. since there
was no train for several hours, | stroll
ed away, proposing to divest myself,
if possible. of the observance of my
shadower. Lighting n cigar, ! strolled
away carelessly. as If bent only on
passing the time before the starting
of the train. But | directed my steps
toward the more f%requented streets
and from these entered a very narrow
one After having gone into 1t for
some distance, seeing a door of one of
the houses open, | looked behind me
and. not seeing my shadower. darted
into 1t.
| fell In with a lot of women who
received my intrusion so angrily that
l concluded to enlist them. if possible,
to my service by appealing to their
patriotism. | told them that | was a
messenger of the English government
and was followed by German agents
who were bent on possessing them
selves of a dispatch | carried. They
were not convinced till | showed them
a letter addressed to the British min
lister at Athens. Then I told them that
| wished to go out unknown on a boat
that l had been told left Marseilles that
night for Italian ports.
When I departed from the house in
which had taken refuge I did so
dressed in the apparel of n of the
women after dark and under the guild
ance of another, for l did not know the
way to the dock. About 8 O'Clock I
went on board, carrying my own mas
culine clothing in a %gripsack.
I had succeeded in my maneuver in
respect to the man who had been
watching me in throwing him off my
track But the left RRts-
ing to chance. He had placed an
agent ON the boat. Unfortunately I
did not suspect that he would do
this. / concluded to retain my fem
mime costume. and it was a dead give
away once the light of day shone upon
me. for there is nothing feminine about
me, and as soon as my enemy saw that
I was a man it was pretty clear that I
was the man who was wanted.
l was sitting in a secluded corner on
deck when a man approached me. rails
ed his hat politely and made some pass
ing remark. as though he wished to
scrape an acquaintance. l reckoned
that his purpose was the dispatch l
bore. must decide at once whether
| should send him about his business or
pretend to be deceived with a view to
outwitting him. l chose the latter
course. for he had an advantage of me
in the fact that l was a man travelling
in woman's clothing. l did not repel
him. but after a few casual remarks l
excused myself and went to my state
room.
The first thing / did after reaching it
was to doff my woman's apparel and
put on my own. l knew the man who
had spoken to me would be on the look
out for me. and when next l went on
deck. seeing him at a distance. I walk
ed toward him. Passing him. l saw
that he recognized me. I returned his
gaze with one which said plainly.
Keep out of my way or | will kill
you" He said nothing. and l received
no further attention from him. Idoubt
If he cared to commit any act that was
not covered by duplicity. and / was de-
termined if he did | would scare him
off. I did not wish to occasion the de-
lay that would come of a fight with
him. but l proposed to make him con-
slider me dangerous.
What he did was this: He went to
the captain of the boat and told him
49, I - -. GliSLaann Aaainn from