The personality of Limantour is one of the most interesting of our day. Brilliant, incorruptible, unquestionably the most able Mexican of his generation, he had for seventeen years been closely associated with the Dictator, and for a considerable portion of that period had been second only to Diaz in actual power. His presence in Paris at this time was significant. He had left Mexico on the llth of July, 1910, ostensibly because of the poor health of his wife, although it had been reported that a serious break had taken place between himself and Diaz. He had spent a certain time in Switzerland, and had later come to Paris to arrange a loan of more than $100,000,000 with a group of English, French and German bankers. But this task had been completed in the early part of December, and in view of the unsettled conditions in Mexico there was no good reason for his continuing in Paris, save one the negotiations with Japan.
It was this man against whom I was to fight this man who had proved himself more than a match for some of the best brains of both hemispheres. The prospect was not reassuring. I knew that already several attempts had been made by our agents to secure the protocol, with the result that Limantour was sure to be more on his guard than he ordinarily would have been. Yet I must succeed and it was plain that I could do so only by violence.
Violence it should be, then; and with the assistance of my friend the Salmon to whom, you may be sure, I did not confide my real object I prepared a plan of campaign, which we duly presented to a group of the Salmon's friends, who had been selected to assist us. To these men Apaches, every one of them I was presented as a decayed gentleman who for reasons of his own had found it necessary to join the forces of the Salmon. I was a good fellow, the Salmon assured them, and by way of proving my friendship I had shared with him my knowledge of a good "prospect" I had discovered.
"The man," I said, "always carries lots of money and jewellery." Of course, I did not tell them his name was Limantour. I said he always played cards late at his club. ' To stick him up," I said, "will be the simplest thing in the world, but we must be careful not to hurt him badly not enough to set the police hot on our trail."
The Apaches fell in with the proposal enthusiastically. We would attempt it the following night.
Now the instructions which came to me under the sweat band of the black derby in the Cafe Americaine informed me that every night quite late Limantour received at his club a copy of the report of the day's conference with the Japanese envoy. It was prepared and delivered to Limantour by his secretary and it was his habit to study it, upon returning home, and plan out his line of attack for the negotiations of the following day. I concluded that Limantour therefore would have it (the report) on his person when he left the club.
Accordingly I had my Apaches waiting in the shadows. There were five of us. Limantour started to walk home, as I knew he was frequently in the habit of doing. We followed, and in the first quiet street that he ventured down he was felled. In his pockets we found a little money and some papers, one glance at which satisfied me that they were of no value.
My carefully-planned coup had failed. You can imagine how I felt about such a fiasco and how very quickly I had to think. Here was my first big chance and I had thoroughly and hopelessly bungled it! Limantour was already stirring. The blow he had received had purposely been made light. If he recovered to find himself robbed merely of an insignificant sum of money and some papers his suspicions would be aroused. I could not hope for another chance at him. I knew that Limantour was too clever not to sense something other than ordinary robbery in such an attack upon him. Furthermore, my Apaches had to be bluffed and deceived as thoroughly as he must be. I had promised them a victim who had loads of money, and at the few coins they had obtained there was much growling. Luckily I had a flash of sense. I resolved to turn the mishap to my advantage.
"We hit the wrong night, that's all," I muttered. "You take the coins and get away. I am going to try to fool him."
Like rats they scurried away. When Limantour came to, he found a very solicitous young man concerned about his welfare.
"I saw them from down the street," I told him. "They evidently knoeked you out, but they cleared off when I came. Did they get anything from you? Here seem to be some letters." And from the pavement I picked up and restored to him the papers I had taken from his pocket not two minutes before.
Limantour accepted them and I knew that my audacity had triumphed.
"They are not of very much importance," said Limantour, "and I had only a few francs on me."
Then suddenly, as if he just realised that he was alive and unharmed, José Limantour began to thank me for my assistance. I thought of those who had told me he was a cold, hard, distant man. Limantour flung his arms around my neck. I was his saviour! I was a very brave young gentleman! If I had not come up so boldly and promptly to his aid he might have been very badly beaten, perhaps even killed. For all he knew he owed me his life. He must thank me. He must know his preserver. Here was his card. Might he have mine? I had been wise enough to keep some of my old cards when I changed the rest of my personality from the Grand Hotel to Montmartre. I gave him one of them.
"A German!" he exclaimed, "and a worthy representative of that worthy race!" Limantour was enchanted. "And you live at the Grand Hotel?"
That was better still. I was only a sojourner in Paris and one might venture to offer me hospitality no? Next day he would send round a formal invitation to come and dine at his house and meet his family. They would be delighted to meet this brave and intrepid hero and would also wish to thank me.
In an adjoining cafe we had a drink and parted for the night. Next morning of course I had to appear again at the Grand Hotel. On foot I walked away from "Le Lapin Agile," jumping into a taxi when I was out of sight. The taxi took me to the Gare du Nord; there I doubled on my tracks and presently, as if just having left a train, I took another taxi and was driven with my luggage to the hotel. I dropped around that afternoon to the Quai d'Orsay and called upon some of my acquaintances, remarking that I had changed my plans and would stay in Paris a little longer. That night I had the pleasure of dining with Limantour.
Thereafter I had to lead a double life. By day I was an habitue of prominent hotels, restaurants and clubs. I associated with young diplomats, and occasionally took a pretty girl to tea. By night I lived in "Le Lapin Agile" and consorted with thugs and their ilk. It cost me sleep, but I did not begrudge that in view of the stakes. All this time I was cultivating the acquaintance of Limantour and those around him.
Shortly afterwards I succeeded in taking one of the members of his household on a rather wild party, and when his head was full of champagne he blabbed that Limantour and his family were planning to sail for Cuba and Mexico on the following Saturday. I was also informed that on Friday, the day before the sailing, there would be a farewell reception at one of the embassies. Knowing Limantour's habits of work as I did by this time, I was able to lay my plans with as much certainty as prevails in my profession.
After weighing all the possibilities I decided to defer my attempt on him until this last Friday night. I reasoned that he would probably receive a draft of the agreement from his secretary at the club late that night. He would take it home with him and go over it with microscopic care. The next forenoon Saturday he would meet the Japanese envoy just long enough to finish the matter, and then he would hurry to the boat-train.
Of course, Limantour might act in a different way. That is the chance one has to take.
Friday night came. In his luxurious limousine Limantour and his family went to the farewell reception at the Embassy. Comparatively early he said his farewell leaving Madame to go home later and in his car he proceeded to the club. I saw him pass through the vestibule after leaving his chauffeur with instructions to wait. My guess as to Limantour's movements had been right, so the plans I had made worked smoothly.
I, too, had an automobile waiting near his club. Two of my men sauntered over to Limantour's car. Under pretence of sociability they invited his chauffeur to have a drink. They led him into a little cafe on a side street near by, the proprietor of which was in with the gang. Limantour's chauffeur had one drink and went to sleep. My men stripped him of his livery, which one of them donned. Presently Limantour had a new chauffeur sitting at the wheel of his limousine.
An hour later Limantour was seen hurrying out of the club. As a man will, he scarcely noticed his chauffeur, but cast a brief "Home!" to the man at the wheel. His limousine started, following a route through deserted residential streets, in one of which I had the trap ready. Half blocking the road was a large motor-car, apparently broken down. It was the automobile in which I had been waiting outside the club. In it were four of my Apaches. Limantour's car was called upon to stop.