From our position on horseback close behind him we were able to see
that our foreigner was reading a guide book and was studying a map of
the fortifications through which we were passing. Suddenly he called
to the driver to stop for a moment while he lit a match for his
cigarette. The driver pulled up, and so did we. The stranger glanced
up to see that the man was not looking round, and then quickly slipped
a camera from under the rug which was lying on the seat in front of
him, and taking aim at the entrance shaft of a new ammunition store
which had just been made for our Navy, he took a snapshot.
Then hurriedly covering up the camera again he proceeded to strike
matches and to light his cigarette. Then he gave the word to drive on
again.
We followed close behind till we came to where a policeman was
regulating the traffic. I rode ahead and gave him his instructions
so that the carriage was stopped, and the man was asked to show his
permit to take photographs. He had none. The camera was taken into
custody and the name and address of the owner taken "with a view to
further proceedings."
Unfortunately at that time--it was many years ago--we were badly
handicapped by our laws in the matter of arresting and punishing
spies. By-laws allowed us to confiscate and smash unauthorised
cameras, and that was all.
"Further proceedings," had they been possible, in this case would have
been unnecessary, for the suspected gentleman took himself off to the
Continent by the very next boat.
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