VIII + 

An Incident in the Fight + 

From what secret place in the metropolis the Woman of Gratz reorganized her forces we shall never know; whence came her strength of purpose and her unbounded energy we can guess. With StarqueвАЩs death she became virtually and actually the leader of the Red Hundred, and from every corner of Europe came reinforcements of men and money to strengthen her hand and to reestablish the shaking prestige of the most powerful association that Anarchism had ever known. + 

Great Britain had ever been immune from the active operations of the anarchist. It had been the sanctuary of the revolutionary for centuries, and Anarchism had hesitated to jeopardize the security of refugees by carrying on its propaganda on British soil. That the extremists of the movement had chafed under the restriction is well known, and when the Woman of Gratz openly declared war on England, she was acclaimed enthusiastically. + 

Then followed perhaps the most extraordinary duels that the world had ever seen. Two powerful bodies, both outside the pale of the law, fought rapidly, mercilessly, asking no quarter and giving none. And the eerie thing about it all was, that no man saw the agents of either of the combatants. It was as though two spirit forces were engaged in some titanic combat. The police were almost helpless. The fight against the Red Hundred was carried on, almost single-handedly, by the Four Just Men, or, to give them the title with which they signed their famous proclamation, вАЬThe Council of Justice.вАЭ + 

Since the days of the Fenian scare, London had never lived under the terror that the Red Hundred inspired. Never a day passed but preparations for some outrage were discovered, the most appalling of which was the attempt on the Tube Railway. If I refer to them as вАЬattempts,вАЭ and if the repetition of that word wearies the reader, it is because, thanks to the extraordinary vigilance of the Council of Justice, they were no more. + 

вАЬThis sort of thing cannot go on,вАЭ said the Home Secretary petulantly at a meeting of the heads of the police. вАЬHere we have admittedly the finest police force in the world, and we must needs be under obligation to men for whom warrants exist on a charge of murder!вАЭ + 

The chief commissioner was sufficiently harassed, and was inclined to resent the criticism in the ministerвАЩs voice. + 

вАЬWeвАЩve done everything that can be done, sir,вАЭ he said shortly; вАЬif you think my resignation would help you out of the difficultyвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

вАЬNow for heavenвАЩs sake, donвАЩt be a fool,вАЭ pleaded the Home Secretary, in his best unparliamentary manner. вАЬCannot you seeвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

вАЬI can see that no harm has been done so far,вАЭ said the commissioner doggedly; then he burst forth: + 

вАЬLook here, sir! our people have very often to employ characters a jolly sight worse than the Four Just MenвБ†вАФif we donвАЩt employ them we exploit them. Mean little sneak-thieves, вАШnarksвАЩ they call вАЩem, old lags, burglarsвБ†вАФand once or twice something worse. We are here to protect the public; so long as the public is being protected, nobody can kickвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

вАЬBut it is not you who are protecting the publicвБ†вАФyou get your informationвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

вАЬFrom the Council of Justice, that is so; but where it comes from doesnвАЩt matter. Now, listen to me, sir.вАЭ + 

He was very earnest and emphasized his remarks with little raps on the desk. + 

вАЬGet the Prince of the Escorial out of the country,вАЭ he said seriously. вАЬIвАЩve got information that the Reds are after his blood. No, I havenвАЩt been warned by the Just Men, thatвАЩs the queer part about it. IвАЩve got it straight from a man whoвАЩs selling me information. I shall see him tonight if they havenвАЩt butchered him.вАЭ + 

вАЬBut the Prince is our guest.вАЭ + 

вАЬHeвАЩs been here too long,вАЭ said the practical and unsentimental commissioner; вАЬlet him go back to SpainвБ†вАФheвАЩs to be married in a month; let him go home and buy his trousseau or whatever he buys.вАЭ + 

вАЬIs that a confession that you cannot safeguard him?вАЭ + 

The commissioner looked vexed. + 

вАЬI could safeguard a child of six or a staid gentleman of sixty, but I cannot be responsible for a young man who insists on seeing London without a guide, who takes solitary motorcar drives, and refuses to give us any information beforehand as to his plans for the dayвБ†вАФor if he does, breaks them!вАЭ + 

The minister was pacing the apartment with his head bent in thought. + 

вАЬAs to the Prince of the Escorial,вАЭ he said presently, вАЬadvice has already been conveyed to his HighnessвБ†вАФfrom the highest quarterвБ†вАФto make his departure at an early date. Tonight, indeed, is his last night in London.вАЭ + 

The Commissioner of Police made an extravagant demonstration of relief. + 

вАЬHeвАЩs going to the Auditorium tonight,вАЭ he said, rising. He spoke a little pityingly, and, indeed, the Auditorium, although a very first-class music hall, had a slight reputation. вАЬI shall have a dozen men in the house and weвАЩll have his motorcar at the stage door at the end of the show.вАЭ + 

That night his Highness arrived promptly at eight oвАЩclock and stood chatting pleasantly with the bareheaded manager in the vestibule. Then he went alone to his box and sat down in the shadow of the red velvet curtain. + 

Punctually at eight there arrived two other gentlemen, also in evening dress. Antonio Selleni was one and Karl Ollmanns was the other. They were both young men, and before they left the motorcar they completed their arrangement. + 

вАЬYou will occupy the box on the opposite side, but I will endeavour to enter the box. If I succeedвБ†вАФit will be finished. The knife is best,вАЭ there was pride in the ItalianвАЩs tone. + 

вАЬIf I cannot reach him the honour will be yours.вАЭ He had the stilted manner of the young Latin. The other man grunted. He replied in halting French. + 

вАЬOnce I shot an egg from between fingersвБ†вАФso,вАЭ he said. + 

They made their entry separately. + 

In the managerвАЩs office, Superintendent Falmouth relieved the tedium of waiting by reading the advertisements in an evening newspaper. + 

To him came the manager with a message that under no circumstances was his Highness in Box A to be disturbed until the conclusion of the performance. + 

In the meantime Signor Selleni made a cautious way to Box A. He found the road clear, turned the handle softly, and stepped quickly into the dark interior of the box. + 

Twenty minutes later Falmouth stood at the back of the dress circle issuing instructions to a subordinate. + 

вАЬHave a couple of men at the stage doorвБ†вАФmy God!вАЭ + 

Over the soft music, above the hum of voices, a shot rang out and a woman screamed. From the box opposite the PrinceвАЩs a thin swirl of smoke floated. + 

Karl Ollmanns, tired of waiting, had fired at the motionless figure sitting in the shadow of the curtain. Then he walked calmly out of the box into the arms of two breathless detectives. + 

вАЬA doctor!вАЭ shouted Falmouth as he ran. The door of the Box A was locked, but he broke it open. + 

A man lay on the floor of the box very still and strangely stiff. + 

вАЬWhy, whatвБ†вАФ!вАЭ began the detective, for the dead man was bound hand and foot. + 

There was already a crowd at the door of the box, and he heard an authoritative voice demand admittance. + 

He looked over his shoulder to meet the eye of the commissioner. + 

вАЬTheyвАЩve killed him, sir,вАЭ he said bitterly. + 

вАЬWhom?вАЭ asked the commissioner in perplexity. + 

вАЬHis Highness.вАЭ + 

вАЬHis Highness!вАЭ the commissionerвАЩs eyebrows rose in genuine astonishment. вАЬWhy, the Prince left Charing Cross for the Continent half an hour ago!вАЭ + 

The detective gasped. + 

вАЬThen who in the name of Fate is this?вАЭ + 

It was M. Menshikoff, who had come in with the commissioner, who answered. + 

вАЬAntonio Selleni, an anarchist of Milan,вАЭ he reported. + 

Carlos Ferdinand Bourbon, Prince of the Escorial, Duke of Buda-Gratz, and heir to three thrones, was married, and his many august cousins scattered throughout Europe had a sense of heartfelt relief. + 

A prince with admittedly advanced views, an idealist, with Utopian schemes for the regeneration of mankind, and, coming down to the mundane practical side of life, a reckless motorcar driver, an outrageously daring horseman, and possessed of the indifference to public opinion which is equally the equipment of your fool and your truly great man, his marriage had been looked forward to throughout the courts of Europe in the light of an international achievement. + 

Said his Imperial Majesty of Central Europe to the grizzled chancellor: + 

вАЬвАКвАШTe DeumsвАЩвБ†вАФyou understand, von Hedlitz? In every church.вАЭ + 

вАЬIt is a great relief,вАЭ said the chancellor, wagging his head thoughtfully. + 

вАЬRelief!вАЭ the Emperor stretched himself as though the relief were physical, вАЬthat young man owes me two years of life. You heard of the London essay?вАЭ + 

The chancellor had heardвБ†вАФindeed, he had heard three or four timesвБ†вАФbut he was a polite chancellor and listened attentively. His Majesty had the true story-telling faculty, and elaborated the introduction. + 

вАЬвА¶¬†if I am to believe his Highness, he was sitting quietly in his box when the Italian entered. He saw the knife in his hand and half rose to grapple with the intruder. Suddenly, from nowhere in particular, sprang three men, who had the assassin on the floor bound and gagged. You would have thought our Carlos Ferdinand would have made an outcry! But not he! He sat stock still, dividing his attention between the stage and the prostrate man and the leader of this mysterious band of rescuers.вАЭ + 

вАЬThe Four Just Men!вАЭ put in the chancellor. + 

вАЬThree, so far as I can gather,вАЭ corrected the imperial storyteller. вАЬWell, it would appear that this leader, in quite a logical calm, matter-of-fact way, suggested that the prince should leave quietly; that his motorcar was at the stage door, that a saloon had been reserved at Charing Cross, a cabin at Dover, and a special train at Calais.вАЭ + 

His Majesty had a trick of rubbing his knee when anything amused him, and this he did now. + 

вАЬCarl obeyed like a childвБ†вАФwhich seems the remarkably strange point about the whole proceedingsвБ†вАФthe captured anarchist was trussed and bound and sat on the chair, and left to his own unpleasant thoughts.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd killed,вАЭ said the chancellor. + 

вАЬNo, not killed,вАЭ corrected the Emperor. вАЬPart of the story I tell you is hisвБ†вАФhe told it to the police at the hospitalвБ†вАФno, no, not killedвБ†вАФhis friend was not the marksman he thought.вАЭ + 