My Adventures as a Spy by Baron Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell Baden-Powell of Gilwell
page 21 of 92 (22%)
page 21 of 92 (22%)
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cigarette. The driver pulled up, and so did we. The stranger glanced
up to see that the man was not looking round, and then quickly slipped a camera from under the rug which was lying on the seat in front of him, and taking aim at the entrance shaft of a new ammunition store which had just been made for our Navy, he took a snapshot. Then hurriedly covering up the camera again he proceeded to strike matches and to light his cigarette. Then he gave the word to drive on again. We followed close behind till we came to where a policeman was regulating the traffic. I rode ahead and gave him his instructions so that the carriage was stopped, and the man was asked to show his permit to take photographs. He had none. The camera was taken into custody and the name and address of the owner taken "with a view to further proceedings." Unfortunately at that time--it was many years ago--we were badly handicapped by our laws in the matter of arresting and punishing spies. By-laws allowed us to confiscate and smash unauthorised cameras, and that was all. "Further proceedings," had they been possible, in this case would have been unnecessary, for the suspected gentleman took himself off to the Continent by the very next boat. But it took a good deal to persuade my staff-officer friend that the whole episode was not one faked up for his special edification. It is only human to hate to be outwitted by one more clever than |
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