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Her satchel, with its contents, lay upon the floor, and the upholstered seat was
taken up in their search, while Iole stood by calmly watching every
movement.
Ah! Here it is, cried one of the men, as he took the platinum box from a
small hole cut in the bottom of the seat. Quick as flash, and before they could
divine her intention, Iole seized his hand and pulled the cord attached to the
box. There was a muffled explosion, the sides of the box bulged out and the lid
flew open; but a mass of charred paper and ashes was all that remained.
The devil! shouted the leader; handcuff her and take her in charge. As
he spoke another squad of men approached from the other end of the car.
A dangerous spy, said the new leader, what kind of a devilish
mechanism was that she had to destroy her dispatches?
The devil alone knows, replied the first leader; these French always were
in league with sorcerers and those who deal in black art work. Where is your
passport? he suddenly asked, turning to me.
BROTHER OF THE THIRD DEGREE 149
Here it is, I answered, handing him my pass.
You talk German, but you don t look it. What is your nationality? he asked,
eying me suspiciously.
By birth an American, by Sympathies German, I answered boldly.
Well, you know a winner, he answered gruffly, as he moved on. Iole, with
manacled hands, having been led into another coach, I was left alone to my
thoughts. Colono, I said to myself, remember the words of St. Germain and be
calm and confident. Then I questioned, how did the German who gave me my
passport know me? Ah! Now I know, a society sign was on my large seal ring
and he had seen it. Should I take it off? No, it had served to my advantage so
far, and I would leave it on. But how was I to communicate with the French
commander since Iole was in the hands of the Germans? What had Iole said
when she whispered to the officer? Had some one betrayed his trust? Had the
Masters for protection to their cause struck him with madness? Or had his
oath, sealed by a solemn invocation, indeed drawn upon him the destroying
spirits he had evoked? Thus thinking, I remained quiet until the train reached
Berlin. Acquainted with the city from the year before, I lost no time; and
without even waiting to see what was done with Iole, hurried t other residence
of Dr. Rankel, determined to tell him at once of the circumstances. The doctor
immediately responded to my note by appearing in person and inviting me to
his private study. Being a high-degree member I had no hesitancy in telling
him everything; and in answer to the questions I put with my account, he said:
Albarez and Saroy are both in the city, and I will notify them at once, if they
have not already learned of her capture. They will do all that can be done, and,
under the present circumstances, you know that will be much. As for you, you
will proceed without delay to the headquarters of Von Kral; I will provide you
with all necessary recommendations and papers from the imperial court.
That night I stayed with Dr. Rankel, and early the next morning he handed
me the confidential prison report to the imperial court, with a significant smile,
and I read:
TREACHERY OR SORCERY.
Yesterday a woman who gave her name as Louise Gray, and who is an
English spy in the employ of the French, was captured on the train en route for
Berlin, with im portant secret messages to French emissaries here; but when
caught she destroyed her messages by some explosive apparatus in the
package in which they were carried. She is a bold and daring woman, and the
officers brought her, under heavy guard, immediately to the imperial prison,
where she was confined in one of the inner and most secure cells with strict
order given to place a double guard around her. These precautions were well
taken, but proved futile; for last night, in some mysterious manner, she
escaped, and no traces can be found of her whereabouts. The only explanation
that the prison general can vouchsafe is very weak, and he has been removed
BROTHER OF THE THIRD DEGREE 150
and confined until it can be investigated. He says that about ten o clock last
night, while he, himself, was at the outer entrance, two strangers approached
him. One, in a voice which had a strange and irresistible power, ordered him
to lead the way to cell No. 93, the one in which the woman was confined.
Unable to disobey, he did so, and the other stranger remained at the outer
entrance. He has but a dim idea of what followed, but he faintly remembers
leading the way to the cell door and opening it, and then accompanying the
man and woman back through the corridor, giving some explanations to the
hall-guards, he know not what. He was found at the outer entrance an hour
before he revived. In the mean time the birds had flown. He swears that he
was hypnotized or made a victim of black-art sorcerers, and the guards seem
to verify his claims; for three of them were found lying in a room near the
outer entrance in the same death -like stupor. All they remember near the
entrance; further than this they have nothing to say. Additional weight is lent
to their statements and claims. By the revelations of the German occultist,
Kroez, who was struck by madness before he could complete his disclosures.
This dabbler in the black art said that the Franco-English alliance is backed by
an organized band of sorcerers and magicians, who are in league with the
devil, and possess supernatural powers. We have never believed much in
these claims than our cold reason knows of; anyway, the people are hearing of
these things, and lacking information, are becoming fearful and superstitious.
Still another link in this chain of evidence is the fact that the woman gave the
officers the secret passwords of the German spies, and would have passed
through without question but for the revelations of Kroez. All passwords have
been changed, and orders issued to seize all who use the old. In the mean time
every effort will be made to get at the bottom of this organization; but because
of the people, all public information concerning it must be prohibited.
When I had finished reading, Dr. Rankel smiled and said:
Iole, with Albarez, is now well on her way to the French army, and Saroy
has left for Vienna. Poor Kroez as a raving maniac can do no more harm;
fearful is the penalty to him who violates his oath when he has invoked the
demons of destruction. *
*Kroez, after twenty -five years of almost constant study without any thing or
altruistic motives, had stumbled, as it were, upon one of the great secrets of
occultism. The discovery was of course immediately known at the eastern
headquarters of the great adepts, but what could they do? Kroez was not
pledged, and if left alone without the higher light, so necessary to the right use
of his knowledge, would use it for unlawful or evil purposes and become
identified with the Black Brotherhood, which really does exist, and thus
become a power for evil.
Three courses were open: Death, perpetual guardianship, or adoption. But
BROTHER OF THE THIRD DEGREE 151
not even the Masters have a right to take life, while perpetual guardianship
would require the constant overshadowing of Kroez to prevent revelations or
wrong use of his powers. This would keep the overshadowing Master from
his other labors; therefore, only the third course lay open, he would have to be
adopted into one of the outer branches of the Great Brotherhood. Some of the
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