Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-28
Wins Contest When Surprised With Dan

I became ~ the same time aware that
an armed guard of at least % men,
With liked baSouets, WAS Drawn up. in
! the corridor outside. / wheeled round
Instantly. As | turned slipped the
better into my breaches peck ct. where
| il at once seemed to burn Like red-
1 hot coal
( Nevertheless. with suitable polite
! ness and unconceru, said good
morning and asked to, what fortunate
avent ] was indebted for the plea sure
! Of his unexpected visit.
| lie replied that they had received
| information from AnGora that ! had
sent a. telegram to Londont!). which
had caused their government great
annoyance, and that orders. had been
received that all my papers were to
| ne taken from me and that my cell
AID myself We're to he thoroughly
searched forthwith
1t may easily be imagined that the
hot coal. i'm say breeches. pocket. ap-
peared TO me actually to burst into
flame. However, / retained what the
sensational writer's are pieasfd, as a
rule, to refer to as the most Rerfect
sang frolds" During the few minutes
spent in going. over the papers on
my desk / was busy cudgelins my
brain TO devise 3 means whereby ii
might be possible for one man sur
rounded by so many, eager eyes, all
fixed upon him the. whole time, to use
his intelligence 10 such good purpose
as TO outwit so many observers, Upon
, the apparently impossible achieve
.,lrrT Of tbat feat all cur lives were
probably at thaI moment depending.
determined TO make use Of what
! wits had for all they were worth.
therefore proceeded to show them
all my papers, including my diary,
and explained each paper with the
utmost candor. Then l opened my
portmantoau and took my seat In a
rtckety old chair. which had once
been covered in velvet, now hanging
in tatters. The seat had been fur
nished with springs, some of which
still remained under the, remnants
OF the velvet. With the position of
each and all of these I was thoroughly
familiar.
Cutting thus, sidewise to the door
- through which the guards ottside
were also obserS ing me closely, pro-
ceeded to take out zach article, Of the
XII and TO hold il up for their eSami-
nation passing 1t a'terward round all
the four officers for. their. inspection.
We soon came tot my new tunic,
which ] was keeping against the
happy day of my eventual release,
and. as | expected and reckoned on,
the appearance of this Interesting and
essen italy military garment produced
| considerable curiosity on the part of
all present. ] was called upon 70 sx-
plain all the marks of rank. the re-
spectacle collection of chevrons, and
particularly why only one Was red
and the rest blue. During this time,
as each point was explained. the in
tereSt grew, and when we came TO the
decorations, TO each of which point
ed with my finger. I felt pretty sure
had all their attention fixed on those
objects. and I profited by that moment
to slip the letter, or rather the blaz-
ing coal, out of my breeches pocket.
I jammed 1t instantly, while all eyes
were fixed on the tunic. under IA
miliar protruding spring In the chair,
beneath the tattered cover.
That Tnaneuver having been sue
cessfuliy accomplished, I experienced
Understandable relief. Although felt
certain the chair was destined also
to be thoroughly examined yet a part
Of my task. had been triumphantiy
achieved. Before the examination of,
the portmanteau was complete, found
occasion to leave the chair and sit on
the floor, apparently with the object
of being in a better position to show
them the construction of the trunk IT.
self.
Whom this was concluded went up
to the major. and said / supposed he
would be bound, according to his Or
ders, 20 search me also, and OH his
answ ering. Certainly" L commenced
at once to undress. handing him for
inspection each article as I took It
off. and finally remaining In my vest
only, and nearly frozen. AS soon as
the articles of my humble attire had
been thoroughly examined, I lost no
time in getting into them again, seat
ing myself in my faithful relic of a
chair for the purpose. Whereupon I
pushed away the portrnanteau and
replaced it by nay. kit-bag, with the
examination OF which We then pro-.
ceeded.
The articles here were of less in
terest. ] had, however, reckoned upon
my spurs in this instance to come to
my assistance, for L had a silver
plated pair, which are quite unknown
In Anatolia.
was in no sense mistaken In my
estimate Of the Turk and the interest
he would take in these very European