It is a peculiar thing about Sultan that, though he will not hurt you, yet if you enter a room whilst he is in it alone he will never let you leave until someone has attended to you. As a thief catcher, he is, for this reason, unequalled. On one occasion, as you shall hear, during my American tour, he saved my watch—that watch which was presented to me by my friend the French count. Whilst I am at the theatre I usually leave my coat and vest hanging on the wall of my dressing-room, Sultan being left in charge. One night we missed for more than an hour one of the stage assistants. When I returned to my dressing-room I was unable for the moment to enter. Sultan, it appeared, was blocking the door. Pushing it open I found the missing assistant at the other end of the room in a state of some uneasiness. I asked him what he was doing, and he explained that he had come to see if he could offer me any assistance. Having entered the room, the dog would not let him move, and altogether he made out such a piteous tale that I sent him off with half-a-dollar. When, however, I came to look at my things I found that my watch, instead of being where I left it, in my vest pocket, was lying on the table, together with some money which had been taken from my pockets. It was then clear that the man’s real object in entering my room was not that of assistance, but of robbery. I called him back, verified my suspicions, and had him immediately discharged. For that night’s work we treated Sultan to a special steak for his supper.
This unfortunately was not the only adventure which I had with this watch of which I was so proud. My friend’s gift seemed to be doomed. Whilst we were at Omaha there was a ball given in the city, and Mrs. Sandow and I were invited to be present. As we should be late in returning I told my valet to give Sultan his walk and then to take the dog home with him for the night. We reached home about half-past two in the morning, and being tired we went straight to bed. It may be explained that our bedroom stood behind the drawing-room, from which it was entered. Beyond the bedroom was the bathroom, in which I hung my clothes, leaving my watch and chain in my vest pocket.
I felt that night, as I felt on the “Elbe,” that something was going to happen. Owing to this feeling I took the precaution to lock the drawing-room door. No one could enter the bedroom without coming through the drawing-room first. We felt, therefore, reasonably secure. In addition to my watch and chain, there was Mrs. Sandow’s jewellery, which she had worn at the ball, whilst, amongst other special things, I had five twenty dollar pieces, which I had bought because of their rare dates. These gold pieces I left in my clothes in the bathroom; Mrs. Sandow’s jewellery remained in a drawer in the bedroom.
Through the night we slept without disturbance. In the morning the servant who came to look after our clothes noticed that my watch chain had been broken and that my watch was missing. The five twenty dollar pieces were also gone, but Mrs. Sandow’s jewellery was untouched.
Questioned as to how she got into the room, the girl said that the door was open. Someone had evidently broken into our rooms whilst we slept and had worked so quietly that they had not disturbed us.
A detective was called, and it was ascertained that shortly after we returned from the ball two well dressed men entered the hotel and asked for rooms on the first floor. It was then between two and three o’clock. Before five o’clock they left. The detective remarked that about that hour two men answering the description that was given had been seen to enter a train, and he thought he would be able to succeed in tracing them. I told him that if he brought my watch back he should be well rewarded.
When the rooms were examined it was found that the door had been opened by means of an instrument which was pushed through the keyhole to turn the key. The gas had been half turned on during the night, and no doubt they saw my watch-chain shining in the uncertain light, and decided to take those things that they could lay their hands on most easily without fear of waking us. It might have been supposed to be risky work to rob a strong man; but, on the other hand, it was found afterwards that the burglar was a desperate fellow, who had just completed nineteen years’ penal servitude for shooting a man who was unfortunate enough to wake up whilst he was rifling his room.
During the day the two men were arrested. Four of the twenty-dollar pieces were found on them, but the watch was still missing. The men were taken before the police authorities, but on the ground that the case was not fully proved they were dismissed. After this decision, the detective came to me to ask what the watch was worth. Five hundred pounds I told him, in actual money, but for me it had a priceless value, and not for five thousand pounds would I willingly part with it.
“Seeing that it is worth so much,” he said, “I will try to get it for you if you will promise to give me £800.”
At this moment I realised the situation; at any rate I felt justified in believing that this so-called detective was in league with the burglars, who had themselves owned in court that they knew where the watch was, though they refused flatly to give the information. Feeling disgusted with a man who could thus play so false and mean a game I took him by his neck and trousers and sent him flying through the door.