The Lunatic at LargeClouston, J. Storer (Joseph Storer)
General
The Lunatic at Large
Clouston, J. Storer (Joseph Storer)
Humorous stories; Nobility -- Germany -- Fiction
“Keep your eye on that man, officer,” he said, in a low confidential
voice, and an air of quiet authority, “and put your plain clothes’ men on
his track. I know him for one of the most dangerous anarchists.”
The man started and stared hard at the Baron, and presently that
unconscious nobleman, pacing the platform in growing wonder at Mr Bunker’s
lengthy absence, and looking anxiously round him on all sides, noticed
with surprise that a number of quietly dressed men, with no apparent
business in the station, were eyeing him with, it seemed to him, an
interest that approached suspicion. In time he grew annoyed, he returned
their glances with his haughtiest and most indignant look, and finally,
stepping up to one of them, asked in no friendly voice, “Vat for do you
vatch me?”
The man returned an evasive answer, and passing one of his
fellow-officers, whispered, “Foreign; I was sure of it.”
At last the Baron could stand it no longer, and laying the bag down by the
door of the refreshment-room, turned hastily away. On the instant Mr
Bunker, who had watched these proceedings from a safe distance, cried in a
loud and agonised voice, “Down with your men, sergeant! Down, lie down! It
will explode in twenty seconds!”
And as he spoke he threw himself flat on his face. So infectious were his
commanding voice and his note of alarm that one after another, detectives,
passengers, and porters, cast themselves at full length on the platform.
The Baron, filled with terror of anarchist plots, was one of the first to
prostrate himself, and at that there could be no further doubt of the
imminence of the peril.
The cabs rattled and voices sounded from outside; an engine whistled and
shunted at a far platform, but never before at that hour of the day had
Liverpool Street Station been so silent. All held their breath and heard
their hearts thump as they gazed in horrible fascination at that fatal
bag, or with closed eyes stumbled through a hasty prayer. Fully a minute
passed, and the suspense was growing intolerable, when with a loud oath an
old gentleman rose to his feet and walked briskly up to the bag.
“Have a care, sir! For Heaven’s sake have a care!” cried Mr Bunker; but
the old gentleman merely bent over the terrible object, and, picking it
up, exclaimed in bewildered wrath, “It’s my bag! Who the devil brought it
here, and what’s the meaning of this d—d nonsense?”
“Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!” roared Mr Bunker; while like sheepish mushrooms the
people sprang up on all sides.
“My dear sir,” said Mr Bunker, coming up to the old gentleman, and raising
his hat with his most affable air, “permit me to congratulate you on
recovering your lost property, and allow me further to introduce my friend
the Baron Rudolph von Blitzenberg.”
“Baron von damned-humbug!” cried the old gentleman. “Did you take my bag,
sir? and if so, are you a thief or a lunatic?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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