Evening star., 1932-10-30

WlCfOuC llBnC, u1eleSS. walt mere, II
said shortly, and disappeared in the fog
At last he returned.
"Come along" he Missed, and we wen
around the house. Behind, in sort o
court yard, stretched a long shed
Through the tightly closed shutters
cleaned few thin rays of light.
Good evening"" said bass voice, and
out of the shadow of the house camd
a figure like walking tower. A flash
light cleaned and the light glared di1
rectly into my eyes.
well, since you are already here,
rumbled the voice, Il cannot chase you
back over the border Since Max
answers for you, you are not a swine
and will not double-crosS us. However
not for money. That Is out of the ques-
tion. There are no wild animals on
exhibition here. Take your money back
again" And with his broad paw Pit
showed back the 20-mark note which q
had given the "man of confidence" in
the afternoon.
We enter the shed, Pit and I ahead
Max, the man of confidence" behind
No. LII C1AC dOOA way ScoC q 6loAlNS q
Pits face: the right cheek, from theI
mouth on, had been torn as if with al
steel claw, SO that his back teeth wereI
exposed He looked as if he were con-|
tinually grinning-a devils grin, like al
gargoyle high on the roof of an old
church. The result of customs guard'S|
shot, learned later.
The rom WAS lika barrapkS AGAINST
the walls were double rows of hunks.
In the center were two bare wooden
tables, the light of two unShaded bulbs
above, them. In one corner were sacks
and bales of goods to be smuggled. The
men, mostly young fellows, were lying
on beds. Only few were sitting at the
tables, drinking from water glasses a
pale-yellow liquor which burned ones
throat like red hot steel. They were
smoking, playing cards or talking at
half voice. So they would sit or lie
about, hour by hour, waiting until the
bicycle patrol returned and announced
that the way was clear Then in furious
haste they would load sacks on their
backs and run painting across the border.
Despite the icy cold night, nearly all
are wearing only thin cotton work suits
and cloth shoes, so as not to be hin
dered in case of flight So we waited.
An hour passed.
Suddenly the door was flung open from
outside. thin, red-haired figure
rushed in PIT! Where is Pit?" he
painted, breathless. "Pit-they have
double crossed uS!'
With one jump they all sprang from
their hunks and crowded about him. He
reported jerkily, brokenly: In the forest
by the border stone $50 he had noticed
a customs patrol, watching in a thicket
and in the space planted with young
pines, four more were hidden. The
women from Materhorn and Kranen-
burg said that all the customs officers
there were modified. There must be
more than a hundred men lying in wait
beyond the border.
"Shut your mouth" roared Pit, and
the room became still as death. Pit was
in the center of the circle; 1 looked at
Max, the man of confidence" Again
he blew his breath through his nose so
forcibly that the hairs of his mustache
quivered.
All faces were tense. Faces of rapa-
cious beasts, stalking their prey. Pits
eyes went slowly around the circle. Sud-
denly one Of them screamed, II saw
Alois going into the central customs Office
in CleveS today!" With one jerk the
heads turned.
Alois, small, stout, pale fellow, began
to tremble, stammered nervously, his
fat cheeks quivering. II wanted-I only
wanted to get my bicycle that they had
seized"