Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-05-13
ANNAPOLIS, MD. TUESDAY EVENING. MAY 13, 1890.


pleasant little fellow, and told capital
stories), and among the party was our
junior ensign, young fellow with more
money than brains, who couldn't see a
ay settle on window without making a
oct out of it, His right name was An
ton SoloviefF, but this fancy of l.is for
betting upon everything had got him the
nickname of Pari lWager), and none
of us ever called him anything else.
When supper was about half through,
the professor told us that he was think
ing of making q tour to Erivan, and some
Of our posts along the Persian border,
and asked what sort of travelling he
should find there.
@Well, said /, you're all right SO long
as you keep on this lsle of tie border !;
but wouldn't advise you to cross it, for
you'll find some pretty awkward bits
there.
Such, for instance, as the village Of
Kara-Dooz" (Black Eyes), said Lieuten-
ant Kavelin ; and everybody laughed.
And what kind of place may that
be, pray srasked the professor, quite I'M
nocently.
It's a Persian village, about forty
miles beyond the frontier, answered /,
-said to be the worst place for robbers
in the whole district. Indeed, the viz
layers themselves are quite proud Of
their reputation in that line, which is 80
notorious, that, when a man is seen g0-
ing about with an out-at-elbows kind
of air, people alwa, say; He has been
at the village of Ka. a. Dooz -"
"I've heard it sail, however, put in
Kavelin, that one or two men have run
the gauntlet, unhurt; but can't vouch
for it myself /"
i should think not |" cried Solovieff.
"I'll bet five hundred rubles that no man
living will go there and back without be-
ing robbed, unless he takes pretty
strong escort with h.m.
"Done, said the professor; it's a
bet. !"
At that we all stared, as well we
might for, really, to hear this quiet,
smooth-faced little fellow, who looked
as if one could blow him away with a
sneeze, talk of ventu.'ing single-handed
among the fiercest cut-throats on the
whole Persian frontier, was enough to
make any man open his eyes bit.
= l see you think I'm joking, gentle
men, said the professor, quietly; but
! mean what l say. Here's my money,
and dare say Ca. tain k. as the
senoir officer present, viii be good
enough to hold the stakes for us.
He pulled out five hundred-ruble notes
as he spoke, and slid them across the
table to me.
"Come, come, Herr Wunder," cried /,
pushing them back again, you're far too
sensible a man to 20 and get yourself
killed, just because our friend Pari,'
here, chooses to talk little nonsense.
just put this money in your pocket
again, and let us say no more about it.
Remember, the Persians have got Jug
glers of their own, so you won't be able
to frighten them with these feats of
yours.
"Yes, that's true enough, said Kave-
lin; "and besides these fellows know
that the cholera's abroad in Southern
Russia and that'u make 'em all the more
dangerousl"
"The choleralD echoed the professor.
"What on earth has that got to do with
it?"
Why, the common people in Persia
have superstition that there's always
one man who carries the plague-spirit
along with him, and destroys all around
him, while remaining unhurt himself.
Many's the foreigner they've killed upon
suspicion of his being the 'bringer of the
pest; and that's just what they'll dowith
you, if you go.
But the professor was not TO be moved.
@All this may be very true, gentlemen,
and owe you many thanks for your
good advice; but I'm not fond of drawing
back from anything that I've once UNDER
taken. believe this thing can be done,
and, at all events mean to try it. /"
So then, finding that there was no
turning him, we all set about doing our
best to help him along. Kavelin lent
him fine horse, which, as he said,
rather pointedly, might De trusted with
a mans life in case of need ;~and got
Prince Mirski to give him special recon-
mendation to the frontier commandants;
and She others hunted him up a courier
in the shape Of Greek fellow named
Bulgarist, whom our general had en-
pIoyed good deal as spy among the
border tribes, and who seemed just born
for that kind Of work. He was as great
rascal as ever breathed but In point Of
sharpness he could overmatch any rob
Der from 1iflis to Teheran.
When the time came for them to start
there was quite q coanmotion in the reQi.