The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-04-02

per, ld1h66 ulI1llIlS euSll4o6E
$1,000 ounces of platinum out
yht out from under tne suppos-
IAN spy system in that country.
to state how badly our Uncle |
indeed, one cannot buy a single |
ion. But Germany IS worse off |
;ential to the gyroscopic mech
lorpedoes, not to mention the
autos.
get 1t out of Russia without having |
someone taking 1t away from you
without an even by your leave Good
lord, man! You ought to know your
Russian better.
''In the first place no insurance
company would protect my firm, for
the government here can't even pro-
tect us from its people. And we're
getting the most alarming reports ev-
cry day Of the way the soldiers are
running amuck. They're all half-star-
we'd, and when they learn that food
is plentiful in one city, they seize the
first train headed that way and go
there. A fine chance your platinum
has Of ever getting by theml"
But he failed to nonplus the Yam
kee engineer. The latter consulted the
railway officials and learned that the
ITrans-Siberian express would leave on
its weekly trip for Vladivostok on
the next Tuesday, as scheduled. That
was the second of October last. Seem
ingly the express was the only thing
in all Russia running on schedule.
Mr.. Diapers wife and three chill
dren and their luggage were ready to
leave at any time.
| The engineer did some quick think
ing, and that afternoon saw him in
earnest conversation with the minis
ter of railways. By dint of bringing
to bear the influence of Russian
friends, and powerful argument that
| contained a subtle implication that
the American embassy was deeply in
terested in getting his possessions
home. Mr.. Draper secured the extra
ordinary privilege of a reservation of
three whole compartments on the ex-
press. The minister could scarcely
have done better for himself.
ct might say that I am in effect
a courier Of the Embassy, and might
go so far as to say that my shipment
is one Of the Embassy Documents.
Otherwise I should never presume up
on the valuable space of the express -
The Minister of Railways was a dem
ocrat, but had been trained in the
Russian diplomatic school. Hence his
: response to the suggestion Of the en-
gineer's diplomatic representation.
| H.
Came Tuesday. Mr.. Draper saw
his family safely installed in one of
the three compartments of the ex-
I press at the Nikolai station. Then he
went outside the station, summoned
a drayman and ordered the fellow to
, go to the English Russian bank for
nine boxes which were to be shipped
on the express. In the boxes, of
| course, were the $1,000 ounces of
, platinum.
The transfer of the nine boxes, each
marked Russian-English Bank and
bearing impressive governmental seals
| was made quickly. A half mile away
t was the station. To reach 1t the dray
could go only by way of the Nevsky
Prospekt and this main thoroughfare
Z of the capital was now crowded with
groups Of soldiers, sailors, and work
, men.
3 Any kind Of guard would have at
: tracted their attention, reasoned the
= engineer. Some several thousand law
. lessly-inclined characters noted the
/ driver, the dray and the nine boxes
t pass by without giving them a, second
r thought Scarcely a few were they
e who gave any attention to the slowly
:. moving cab fifty yards or more be-
Q hind the dray. In the cab was the
r Yankee engineer with a poker face
k but a pounding heart.
n Two million dollars worth of met
i al, that the whole world was seeking
:. on an unprotected dray on the main
: street of half-crazy Petrograd was
a enough to start the heart Of the Statue
t of Liberty beating loudly.
Fifteen minutes later Mr.. Draper
= was on the verge of the first of the
= many near heart-failures of the tense
8 ly dramatic trip three quarters of the
|. way round the world For the station
). guards waxed wroth at the idea of his
e heavy boxes taking up the space Of
o two whole compartments.
While the boxes were small, meas
= uring approximately two feet in
t length width and depth, they were ex-
o ceedtngly heavy. The heaviest box
: weighed $50 pounds; the others less
It according to the amount of platinum
+ in each.
Fear of German Spies
Fortunately there was plenty of
time for convincing the guard thai
- the boxes contained Embassy docu-
> ments." Persistent repetition of these
two magical words together with lib.
leral tips finally induced them to with.
: draw their objections and the boxes
- were loaded into the compartments
For the moment the engineer breath.
ed easily.
Then followed an appreh nsive wal
u for the express to start at $3.50
> o'clock. The suspense prompted Mr.
q Diapers imagination. Had the Ger
j. man secret service agents who helG
l. positions in practically every banl
IS and business house of Russia got wine
q of the shipment? If they had, the
l. coup was certain of failure. For they
II would move heaven and earth anG
not even stop at murder to prevent
d the platinum from leaving Russia.
n The coaches filled rapidly Ameri.
y cans, Englishmen, Japanese, Chinese
g and what not of the races exchanged
J. greetings. Russian officers soldiers
: and civilians hustled through the trair
" corridors.
I'D stick it out here bit longer
an Australian army officer, returning
a from duty with the Russian army, re.
marked to the Yankee, "only there's
tlno getting platinum for automobile