At the police-station I took the initiative; went into the inner room, and requested the clerk to ring up the Chief of Police. I explained the position in a few words, expressed my intention of leaving by the next train, and told the police-master he would find me at Efimoff’s whenever he needed me. I was ordered to be allowed to go, and the clerk accordingly endorsed the order--the one I had noticed in the hand of Colonel Maximovich that morning. The action of the authorities was explicable. Having discovered the presence of a newspaper correspondent in the fortress, they were anxious for his immediate departure. He could not leave quickly enough to satisfy them. The next morning my baggage and myself were at the railway terminus in good time. That day the train was late; at the moment no one could say whether or not there would be a train leaving. It was a matter of indifference to me--longing for a fresh attack by the Japanese fleet, or any event which would prolong my stay. But at last the train came, and I had an unexpected diversion. I was entering the booking office when a captain of the railway guards tapped me on the shoulder. “Are you the war correspondent who is ordered to leave?” “I am,” I answered. “Have you a permit?” “No,” I said, astonished. “I am ordered to go.” “Ah, but you must have a permit.” The ever officious Tsintsius was at hand to explain. His explanation did not satisfy the captain. “Get one for him, then,” said Tsintsius. The captain consented. He wrote an order, gave it to one of his men and told him to conduct me to his quarters. When we arrived there, the clerk in charge made a lengthy business of his work. He drew up a petition to General Stoessel, stating who and what I was, where I wanted to go, specified that I had with me a Gladstone bag, riding whip, etc., etc., and required a permit to leave Port Arthur. The captain himself came and assisted in drafting the document. Then I was dispatched with the guard to the commandant of the fortress. General Stoessel was not at all pleased to see me, or gratified at the nature of the communication. He stamped, and fumed, and abused the captain and his men; the guard meanwhile standing strictly to attention. No permit was necessary to leave Port Arthur--only to enter the town. “Still,” I said, “they won’t let me leave without a pass.” “Stay! I will give you something which will satisfy that imbecile.” He scribbled a few words on paper and handed it to me. When we were in our carriage, the guard asked me to loan him the paper, and he studied it carefully. “You see our captain was right. It is a permit.” That was well, but when we reached the station the train had gone--there was no other until early the next morning, so I had another day in Port Arthur. In the afternoon I met the Chief of Police on the Bund. “Why have you not gone?” he asked. I explained what had happened.