beasts and superbeasts-第24章

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weeklies　to　the　banks　of　the　Seine　and　the　heights　of　

Montmartre。　　The　migration　was　a　brief　one；　but　it　

heralded　an　era　of　restlessness　in　the　Press　world　which　

lent　quite　a　new　meaning　to　the　phrase　'newspaper　

circulation。'　　Other　editorial　staffs　were　not　slow　to　

imitate　the　example　that　had　been　set　them。　　Paris　soon　

dropped　out　of　fashion　as　being　too　near　home；　Nurnberg；　

Seville；　and　Salonica　became　more　favoured　as　planting…

out　grounds　for　the　personnel　of　not　only　weekly　but　

daily　papers　as　well。　　The　localities　were　perhaps　not　

always　well　chosen；　the　fact　of　a　leading　organ　of　

Evangelical　thought　being　edited　for　two　successive　

fortnights　from　Trouville　and　Monte　Carlo　was　generally　

admitted　to　have　been　a　mistake。　　And　even　when　

enterprising　and　adventurous　editors　took　themselves　and　

their　staffs　further　afield　there　were　some　unavoidable　

clashings。　　For　instance；　the　SCRUTATOR；　SPORTING　BLUFF；　

and　THE　DAMSELS'　OWN　PAPER　all　pitched　on　Khartoum　for　

the　same　week。　　It　was；　perhaps；　a　desire　to　out…distance　

all　possible　competition　that　influenced　the　management　

of　the　DAILY　INTELLIGENCER；　one　of　the　most　solid　and　

respected　organs　of　Liberal　opinion；　in　its　decision　to　

transfer　its　offices　for　three　or　four　weeks　from　Fleet　

Street　to　Eastern　Turkestan；　allowing；　of　course；　a　

necessary　margin　of　time　for　the　journey　there　and　back。　　

This　was；　in　many　respects；　the　most　remarkable　of　all　

the　Press　stampedes　that　were　experienced　at　this　time。　　

There　was　no　make…believe　about　the　undertaking；　

proprietor；　manager；　editor；　sub…editors；　leader…writers；　

principal　reporters；　and　so　forth；　all　took　part　in　what　

was　popularly　alluded　to　as　the　DRANG　NACH　OSTEN；　an　

intelligent　and　efficient　office…boy　was　all　that　was　

left　in　the　deserted　hive　of　editorial　industry。〃



〃That　was　doing　things　rather　thoroughly；　wasn't　

it？〃　said　the　nephew。



〃Well；　you　see；〃　said　Sir　Lulworth；　〃the　migration　

idea　was　falling　somewhat　into　disrepute　from　the　half…

hearted　manner　in　which　it　was　occasionally　carried　out。　　

You　were　not　impressed　by　the　information　that　such　and　

such　a　paper　was　being　edited　and　brought　out　at　Lisbon　

or　Innsbruck　if　you　chanced　to　see　the　principal　leader…

writer　or　the　art　editor　lunching　as　usual　at　their　

accustomed　restaurants。　　The　DAILY　INTELLIGENCER　was　

determined　to　give　no　loophole　for　cavil　at　the　

genuineness　of　its　pilgrimage；　and　it　must　be　admitted　

that　to　a　certain　extent　the　arrangements　made　for　

transmitting　copy　and　carrying　on　the　usual　features　of　

the　paper　during　the　long　outward　journey　worked　smoothly　

and　well。　　The　series　of　articles　which　commenced　at　Baku　

on　'What　Cobdenism　might　do　for　the　camel　industry'　ranks　

among　the　best　of　the　recent　contributions　to　Free　Trade　

literature；　while　the　views　on　foreign　policy　enunciated　

'from　a　roof　in　Yarkand'　showed　at　least　as　much　grasp　of　

the　international　situation　as　those　that　had　germinated　

within　half　a　mile　of　Downing　Street。　　Quite　in　keeping；　

too；　with　the　older　and　better　traditions　of　British　

journalism　was　the　manner　of　the　home…coming；　no　bombast；　

no　personal　advertisement；　no　flamboyant　interviews。　　

Even　a　complimentary　luncheon　at　the　Voyagers'　Club　was　

courteously　declined。　　Indeed；　it　began　to　be　felt　that　

the　self…effacement　of　the　returned　pressmen　was　being　

carried　to　a　pedantic　length。　　Foreman　compositors；　

advertisement　clerks；　and　other　members　of　the　non…

editorial　staff；　who　had；　of　course；　taken　no　part　in　the　

great　trek；　found　it　as　impossible　to　get　into　direct　

communication　with　the　editor　and　his　satellites　now　that　

they　had　returned　as　when　they　had　been　excusably　

inaccessible　in　Central　Asia。　　The　sulky；　overworked　

office…boy；　who　was　the　one　connecting　link　between　the　

editorial　brain　and　the　business　departments　of　the　

paper；　sardonically　explained　the　new　aloofness　as　the　

'Yarkand　manner。'　　Most　of　the　reporters　and　sub…editors　

seemed　to　have　been　dismissed　in　autocratic　fashion　since　

their　return　and　new　ones　engaged　by　letter；　to　these　the　

editor　and　his　immediate　associates　remained　an　unseen　

presence；　issuing　its　instructions　solely　through　the　

medium　of　curt　typewritten　notes。　　Something　mystic　and　

Tibetan　and　forbidden　had　replaced　the　human　bustle　and　

democratic　simplicity　of　pre…migration　days；　and　the　same　

experience　was　encountered　by　those　who　made　social　

overtures　to　the　returned　wanderers。　　The　most　brilliant　

hostess　of　Twentieth　Century　London　flung　the　pearl　of　

her　hospitality　into　the　unresponsive　trough　of　the　

editorial　letter…box；　it　seemed　as　if　nothing　short　of　a　

Royal　command　would　drag　the　hermit…souled　REVENANTS　from　

their　self…imposed　seclusion。　　People　began　to　talk　

unkindly　of　the　effect　of　high　altitudes　and　Eastern　

atmosphere　on　minds　and　temperaments　unused　to　such　

luxuries。　　The　Yarkand　manner　was　not　popular。〃



〃And　the　contents　of　the　paper；〃　said　the　nephew；　

〃did　they　show　the　influence　of　the　new　style？〃



〃Ah！〃　said　Sir　Lulworth；　〃that　was　the　exciting　

thing。　　In　home　affairs；　social　questions；　and　the　

ordinary　events　of　the　day　not　much　change　was　

noticeable。　　A　certain　Oriental　carelessness　seemed　to　

have　crept　into　the　editorial　department；　and　perhaps　a　

note　of　lassitude　not　unnatural　in　the　work　of　men　who　

had　returned　from　what　had　been　a　fairly　arduous　journey。　　

The　aforetime　standard　of　excellence　was　scarcely　

maintained；　but　at　any　rate　the　general　lines　of　policy　

and　outlook　were　not　departed　from。　　It　was　in　the　realm　

of　foreign　affairs　that　a　startling　change　took　place。　　

Blunt；　forcible；　outspoken　articles　appeared；　couched　in　

language　which　nearly　turned　the　autumn　manoeuvres　of　six　

important　Powers　into　mobilisations。　　Whatever　else　the　

DAILY　INTELLIGENCER　had　learned　in　the　East；　it　had　not　

acquired　the　art　of　diplomatic　ambiguity。　　The　man　in　the　

street　enjoyed　the　articles　and　bought　the　paper　as　he　

had　never　bought　it　before；　the　men　in　Downing　Street　

took　a　different　view。　　The　Foreign　Secretary；　hitherto　

accounted　a　rather　reticent　man；　became　positively　

garrulous　in　the　course　of　perpetually　disavowing　the　

sentiments　expressed　in　the　DAILY　INTELLIGENCER'S　

leaders；　and　then　one　day　the　Government　came　to　the　

conclusion　that　something　definite　and　drastic　must　be　

done。　　A　deputation；　consisting　of　the　Prime　Minister；　

the　Foreign　Secretary；　four　leading　financiers；　and　a　

well…known　Nonconformist　divine；　made　its　way　to　the　

offices　of　the　paper。　　At　the　door　leading　to　the　

editorial　department　the　way　was　barred　by　a　nervous　but　

defiant　office…boy。



〃　'You　can't　see　the　editor　nor　any　of　the　staff；'　

he　announced。



〃　'We　insist　on　seeing　the　editor　or　some　

responsible　person；'　said　the　Prime　Minister；　and　the　

deputation　forced　its　way　in。　　The　boy　had　spoken　truly；　

there　was　no　one　to　be　seen。　　In　the　whole　suite　of　rooms　

there　was　no　sign　of　human　life。



〃　'Where　is　the　editor？'　　'Or　the　foreign　editor？'　　

'Or　the　chief　leader…writer？　　Or　anybody？'



〃In　answer　to　the　shower　of　questions　the　boy　

unlocked　a　drawer　and　produced　a　strange…looking　

envelope；　which　bore　a　Khokand　postmark；　and　a　date　of　

some　seven　or　eight　months　back。　　It　contained　a　scrap　of　

paper　on　which　was　written　the　following　message：





〃　'Entire　party　captured　by　brigand　tribe　on　

homeward　journey。　　Quarter　of　million　demanded　as　ransom；　

but　would　probably　take　less。　　Inform　Government；　

relations；　and　friends。'





〃There　followed　the　signatures　of　the　principal　

members　of　the　party　and　instructions　as　to　how　and　where　

the　money　was　to　be　paid。



〃The　letter　had　been　directed　to　the　office…boy…in…

charge；　who　had　quietly　suppressed　it。　　No　one　is　a　hero　

to　one's　own　office…boy；　and　he　evidently　considered　that　

a　quar