Evening star., 1924-12-07

| tASllc Qe1lanQS from tHe SoNei hHiCAI
1 that our troops should not be with
| drawn. The quays along the whole
| sea front were black with frantic
| crowd, consisting largely of local
| levies which had bolted from the lines
and were now endeavoring to embark
| on any kind of vessel which they
! might be able to reach.
! Between this crowd and our ship /
| had placed my two drivers and my
! batman, who stood with fxed bayo-
nets holding the mob at bay and pre-
| venting any Of its members from
| boarding the Armenian. There was
also my "armored" car, with it's ma
| chine guns covering the approach OF
the vessel
Having made these arrangements, l
pulled out my good Colt .450 auto
| matte pistol and started through the
crowd for the chiefs ship to obtain
what reinforcements and orders
might be available. AS evening strolls
on seaside promenades go. this one
should imagine to be unique, and "in-
cidents" were frequent.
The chief was, as usual, quite
! calm, but badgered to death by
dictators. comm ssaires and such like
undesirables. l informed him that I
| thought might be able to get away
Independently of the other troops
and 40 save n lot OF most valuable
| munitions II he could give me q
picket of some sort and any indica-
tion OF the course to steer in
going out.
1t was then arranged that as soon
as IL was dark he should hoist three
lights at his masthead. which signal
! had already been agreed on to serve
our troops az rallying-point for
stragglers and that the lowering of
these lights was to be his signal to
me that he WAS under way and going
out, and that / was then to follow as
best l could. He gave me a picket
of four men---all that could then be
spared--and with this powerful de-
tachment, having fixed bayonets, 1
made my way back as rapidly as
possible.
shortly after my return to the
ship ! received a visit from one OF
the commissaires OF the govern
ment. received him on board the
Arm eutan, which had had pushed
out some 10 feet or moro from the
quay. with which Il was now con-
nected only by somewhat insecure
plank which served as gancway
He related to me with much gustu
that the government had heard we
Intended putting To sea, but that we
were not to- be allowed to do so, as
the gunboats had received orders to
fire upon the Armenian should she
try TO break out-which firc, con-
sidering the nature of her cargo,
would certainly blow her up.
This piece of news, in no way
unexpected by me, gave him such
intense satisfaction that he repeated
1t twice. while / kept my attention
fixed upon my men at the junction OF
our pier and the quays. There I saw
my most reliable man at that
laa ~
rying towards the ship, evidently
with news.
As he stepped up onto the bridge,
where my cabin was. / turned to the
comfnissaire. and this time the
gusto was all on my side told him
that what he said about taking the
ship out was perfectly correct as
such was my intention. declared
further that it was more than pos
sible his realistic picture OF the ship
blowing up was equally correct.
which grieVed me much for his sake
as under no circumstances could
allow him TO leave the ship, and that
If she did blow up. he would certainly
be blown up with her.
With the same breath I called to
my man, whom I could then hear
outside. He at once appeared at the
door, all rife and bayonet, with his
eyes shining in their eager search
for the fret object into which he
could legitimately thrust that weapon.
L then ordered him TO guard the
cabin, and on any attemp. on the
part of the commissaire to get out
or to communicate with any one, to
shoot him at once
HAVING got this off my chest /
proceeded down the pier 90 the
shore end, where my picket was still
holding its own, though With dim
Guilty. and where understood a
second commissairs had now arrived
with q message to me from the
dictators.
This man 1 knew to be a thorough
Bolshevik and suspected Of the in
tention of making trouble for me
with tho Russian crew of the Ar
menian. who already looked quite
nasty" enough So, although !
crested him politely enough, I told
him that If he had any message for |
me from the government, I could only |
receive it on board the ship, which
was willing to do IL he would meet |
me there.
On his agreeing, led the way on
board over our slender plank, and, |
opening the cabin door. pushed him |
In forcefully. Before he recovered |
himself l told my man very curtly: |
"If there's any trouble with these |
blighters. shoot them both, as shall |
now draw the men on board and get |
under way, II ] can
Returning then 70 our small picket, |
through which some of the most |
veRturesome on the quay were now |
beginning to worm their way on to |
the pier / gave orders to back the |
car down to the ship. keeping the |
guns trained on the pier, and to get |
on board. at the same time announc- !
ing we would shoot any man who |
commenced our retreat in the direc- |
tion of the ship.