Owing to political strain going on in Europe at the time there was the
possibility that these rumours might have been purposely set on foot,
like many others, with a view to giving some moral prestige to the
army concerned.
It became my duty to investigate as far as possible what amount of
truth lay in them.
ENCOUNTER WITH THE POLICE.
It was a difficult country to work in owing to the very stringent
police arrangements against spies of every kind, and it looked to be a
most unpromising task to elicit what I wanted to know, because one was
sure of being watched at every turn. As I afterwards discovered, it
was through this multiplicity of police arrangements that one was able
to get about with comparative ease, because if one went boldly enough
it immediately argued to the watchful policeman that someone else was
sure to be observing you.
Moreover, spies generally do their work single-handed, and on this
occasion I was accompanied by my brother, and this made it easier
for us to go about as a pair of tourists interested in the country
generally. A man travelling alone is much more liable to draw
attention upon himself, and therefore to go about under suspicion.
Our entry into the country was not altogether fortunate, because while
yet in the train we managed to get into trouble with the guard over
a window which he insisted on shutting when we wanted it open.
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