Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-02-25
Court Cards

run into England for all it's worth. And
it's worth a good deal today. Take silk
stockings alone: they're light, they're q
speciality OF France, and the modern Eng
lish girl would far rather have them than
bread. Very well. / act for certain peo-
pie, whose identity you may imagine but
I'm not free to disclose, and this silk run
ming business is making them tired"
Naturally" said /.
But the trouble is this: It's not a job
you can tackle from this side of the chan
mel alone. And the French police will not
help. They say they will, but they don't
money which comes into France. We've
tried using private police, but they're alb
surdly expensive and out of their depth >
II agree" said | heartily. Its mex
cusable.. DO you give me a free hand"
Absolutely" said George. "But of
course we can't recognize you. You'll be
doing the work, but you won't appear.
When eyerything's ready you'll call the
revenue In and they'll get all the praise.
That's on this side of the channel. On
the other, when you've located a depot be-
yond all doubt, upon our request the
French will be bound to act. The question
of payment doesn't seem to interest you, so
I'll make the obvious remark that you
won't lose by putting the smuggling down,
and leave it there
1.-THE revenue wallahs will let me come
and go?"
MY dear Bertram," said George, "you1l
become their patron saint
'Then that's settled" said /. "Ill make
my preparations and when I'm ready to
start I'll let you know"
Five months had gone by, and I was IN
known, yet feared. BY friends and enemies
alike we had come to be called "The Court
Cards"-in a way a misnomer, for we were
six in number, myself and my five men.
Yet the name served, and after a while we
each used a card as his badge. Mine was
the king of spades, my lieutenant's the
queen of clubs, and the other four shared
the knaves.
We had not stamped out the silk run
ming, for we were but six and 1t was a
profitable game but we had reduced 1t by
half, and from Dunkirk to Ushant there
was not a smuggler that did not detest
our name.
George Lustre was radiant; the revenue
officers hung like dogs upon our lips; and
| was a miserable man.
That my work had brought me to Rouen
increased my Indebtedness, and ! would
not have walked along the Rue Jeanne
dare though it had been ~Smuggler's row.
However, / had no cause to go by that
way. for my lodging was in a poor quarter
or the city and, indeed, / was only there
because the bigger the town the easier may
you lie hid, and l was to prove a chateau
not far from Dieppe.
| had no doubt 1t was a depot. The coast
was but ten miles away, and we had al
ready marked down a swift sea going
launch. In fact, all was in train. 1t only
remained to connect the launch with the
chateau, and that W e were to do this night.
Once that had been done, the launch would
be taken redhanded upon the English coast
and at the same moment the chateau would
be raided by the French.
Now a car was, of course, always used
to take the silk from the depot down to
the sea, and If we could identify the car
that had left a depot as the one which
within the hour was feeding a launch that
was evidence against the depot which no
body could possibly contest. But without
betraying our presence this was most hard
to do, for the cars ran without any lights
and were driven with the utmost vigilance,
so that, though we might see one leave, to
attempt to follow 1t up was out Of the
question.
Yet we had devised a system which.
when we were able to employ it. worked
very well. As it was leaving its depot one
of the Court Cards would mark a wheel
cap Of the car with a dash of red paint.
This badge 1t would carry to the coast, and
there, while the business of ,lading the
launch was going on, another Court Card
would first touch the wheel cap with a
handkerchief and then clean the cap with
spirit so that no trace at all Of the paint
remained. OF course, he could use no light,
but II, when examined later, the handker-
chief was stained red, the connection we
sought to establish was plainly proved,
The second entrance to the chateau was
approached by a little lane from which a
second drive curled between ranks of old
elms up to the stable yard. Old iron gates
closed this drive to the lane, but though
the chain that locked them might not have
been undone for twenty years ! had marked
the grease upon their hinges and / knew
that when they swung open they would
do so without a sound. And that is not
the way of gates that are never used. Be-
sides, | had seen the mark of q tire In
the little lane.
Now, whether the gates would be opened
before the car left the stables l could not
tell; put, In any event. so Narrow was the
lane that the turning out Of the drive was
very sharp and would have to be taken
slowly and with the greatest care. MY
plan Was therefore, to lie hid within the
gates and to paint the off hind wheel can
either while the gates were being opened
or as the car was turning into the lane.
when 1t was dark | left Rouen, taking
the road to the coast. We were still five
miles from the chateau and had not yet
reached the point at which we were intend
ing to leave the car when one 0f my head
lights failed.
had descended to see what the trouble
might be when a car which was coming
toward me began to slow down and, when
II was almost abreast of me, came to rest.
very civilly its driver inquired If I needed
his help | thanked him and told him no.
AS we were speaking another car passed
between us, going my way. Its driver
slowed down In order to make the passage.
out ala not stop, and / remember mentally
contrasting his manner with the courtesy
OF the first. Then | reentered my car and
went my way.
-Four hours later, after a weary vigil in
long wet grass at the end of the second
dr1ve, my patience was at length rewarded.
A girl approached from the stables and
opened the old iron gates. AS she did so an
engine started, back In the stable yard.
Inc girl passed into the lane and | heard
the ear enter the drive. Mercifully the moon
was hidden, and at once / moved to the
gate. The car approached. but its driver
appeared to be awaiting some sign.
Ihen a torch flashed from the lane. In
stantly the car slid forward, and as il
turned out of the gateway | swept my paint
wheel.
AND there our run of luck came to an
end. for the next morning my lieutenant
reported that the car had been unladen in
the open behind a barn, and that, while one
DInT