Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-28

/ WHEELED KOD
Ilsadly weak state, and the Turks did
not like the looks OF me as a prospec-
tive released prisoner IN Constanti-
lnopie.
| was also allowed to visit the Otto.
man Bank with an officer The man
ager there Immediately cashed my
| draft on the command paymaster at
I Constantinople.
| We. remained confined in the ford at
Trebizond for IS. days and the fresh
Air and exercise which We we're able
| to obtain did much to restore our
! health. The apparent imminence o.
| our release, however. was, without
| doubt, the factor chiefly responsible
| for our recovery. We were given to
| understand that at any moment a
British ship might be expected TO ar
| rive for the purpose of enfbarking us
| a Turkish lieutenant was detailed
| TO remain In charge of US. and occu-
pied the room next to mine in the fort
| He appeared very friendly. and / was
Permitted to accompany him into the
! town to effect purchases or visit the
! Mathis or restaurant.
On April 10, about midday, how
ever, when going as usual for a walk
with the officer, became aware that
he WAS very silent He seemed over
come by emotion. L therefore asked
! him what was tho matter--whether
he had received any news.
He then told me orders had that
morning been received by telegraph
| from Angora that we were to be sent
back at once into the interior. He did
| rot know to what destination, but
orders had already been given for the
,carts and guards. to- be got ready.
| We finally left TrebizoRd on April
II. accompanied by many more guards
| than had been considered necessary
on our previous journey. and on April
% I'VE finally reached Erzerupl, where
| the snow still lay deep and the wind
was as bitter as ever. We. wero re-
turned to our prison and given the
same cells that we had previously
occupied, and into which we we're
thrust without any kind Of provisions
in the way of light, heat, Or furBi-
Iture of any kind. From a friendly
| officer whom we already knew I re-
ceived an Invaluable hint that, In all
| probability, We should be searched
for our money, and we took immsdi-
! ate steps to safeguard this. to US.
priceless treasure
| After some hours hard thinking, i
proceeded to take the frat step. by
dividing our funds into nine different
portions, of which six were compare
lively small sums, two others were of
more considerable amounts, and the
| last one was equal to the half of our
total resources.
The naen had made for themselves.
long ago. slippers. the soles of which
consulted Of thick rubber from the
inner tubes of our motor car tires.
ALI these were now opened sufficient
fy to admit OF certain or the smaller
notes being. inserted between them.
The next two parcels were of con-
siderakIy higher value and were more
permanently. concealed. As we still
possessed two ordinary service water
bottles, Of which II was unlikely that
We should be deprived proceeded to
split the thick felt with which the
outside OF the bottles Is covered, and
inserted the notes therein, afterward
we'll dampenins the felt and submit
ting IL to pressure until the original
slit became impossible to find. even
when one knew where II had been.
y y
nor the last and greatest treasure
I had reserved q hiding place
which L considered would defy detec-
tion-my good old portmanteaa. The
good English leather was about a
quarter Of an inch thick. and this /
split and inserted the notes In the In
terror of the leather, after dampening
| 1t and closing the slit by pressure
when wet, so that 1t became abso-
lately impossible to conceive that
anything could be concealed Ia the
thickness of the material itself.
Having taken these precautions. I
balanced my accounts carefully, show
ing the exact amount received from
the bank at Trebizond (of which the
| Turks, felt sure, would have already
received accurate information), as
we'll az the payments made by me, IN
Guiding q purchase OF furs In Treoi-
Zond for dispatch to England, which
payment ooriously enough, precisely
toorresponded with the amount of our
concealed resources.
The account showed finally . bal
fence OF Sc pounds Turkish In hand. as
we'll as some small change. We were
barely In time. for on the afternoon
1 Of the third day after our return
received q, visit from Avni Bey, a most
interesting and original character,
who, having risen from tho ranks.
was now. at tho age, of SO. a major Of
| artillery. and commandment of the
"Merkez." or town and fortress head
quarters
The moment saw this. old gentle
| man felt had an opponent of whom
4
get the better. therefore, from the
| start, exhibited the utmost candor
and played my part with the greatest
Ecars,
One great advantage was mine from
/ the beeinnins: knew what he had
come for, and he did not cohesive Or
/ suspect that Il was possible that
could know the purpose Of his visit,
"a on receipt Of bis tetegraphio per-
sonal orders he had come straight to
| my cell and had spoken to no ONE on
the way.
/ Our most cunning old friend was
Extremely polite. and sat down and
talked on general subjects and our
Journey. / taking the bull straight
by the horas, replied with chHdlike
binnocenoe that of COURSE the Journey
/ and all tina conditions had been much
easier this time than before, as j had
Ebesn able, to draw some money from
TIA hank ct frebtzond The news
tfalAap NJ him n eha wiAA though
he gave no sign Of II. merely reply.