He advised me before going out each day to inform the
hall porter, thereby letting the detectives overhear what were my
plans; they would then telephone to the police, who would have their
own detectives watching me while I was out.
THE ESCAPE.
Within a short time my brother rejoined me from the manoeuvre area,
but by doing so he at once came under observation and under suspicion,
and we were practically a pair of prisoners. So much was this the case
that a few days later we received a visit at daybreak one morning,
from a friend in power, who was also in touch with the police, and
he advised us that the best course we could take was to escape from
the country while it was possible, he undertaking quietly to make
arrangements for us. The idea was that we should slip away to a
seaport, where we could get on to a British steamer as two of the crew
and so pass out of the country.
That was the scheme. But the difficulty was how to play it off. A ship
was found whose captain was willing to receive us provided that we
could get to him without being observed. With the aid of our friendly
waiter, we let the detective at the hotel understand that we were
tired of being under suspicion, and that we were boldly going to take
the train and leave the country.
At ten o'clock a cab was to come round to take us and our luggage to
the station, and if anybody interfered with us--why, we were freeborn
British, and subject to no man's rule, and the Ambassador and all the
rest of the Powers should hear about it! This was for the information
of the detective, and he merely telephoned it to the police office at
the railway station, where we should be arrested at the point of our
departure.
Pages:
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101