Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-28
NOTWITHSTANDING

honor from AN armchair were noblv
mad. Was not Russia laundering ut the
gates Of India, and where the = gaz.
etteer was Pcnjdch?
In thesecircuTstances Tho Daily Her
aid had e. keep mp its reputation, SO
the chief sent for Macintyre. and the
two men took counsel.
What we want said the little
man to the big one, lis definite informa-
ton about the PaEir country; whether
there is any serious movement along
the Russo-Chinese frontier the truth
about the Askabai railway and Merv.
When can you START
MacintyTc threw back his head and
settled his shoulders.
Tomorrow morning. sir. rs soon as
] can get my letters VI credit and my
papers. "
And 80, un swelteTing June day,
Macintyrc landed from the steamer IT.
fish az the slcycnly wooden stage. just
below the ferry ~ Semipalatinsk, hav-
ing mad" the journey from London
without mitch in less than month.
Thrn his troubles began His avowed
purpose was to shoot arSali in the Ala
Tau. but the Russian governor. Colonel
Bofisoy itch. either doubted his errand
or el,' was minded to- make him pay for
his whistle. At any rate. everything
went tanc' u. Never were HORSES so
hard to come ty. There were few
wreichcd Higglli, brutes. but ~ for Tur-
CONAN stc"ds. there was not one to be
had fer love or money. Then came u
hitch about papers. Tho official mail
from Tobolsk was unarcountably delay
ed, and 80 on and so on.
The governor. Of course, was disgust
ingly polite. and Lacintyrc, not to- be
outdonc. kept as CHEEKY rs though he
had 40 desire III the world except to be
haEdicd about from secretary Ia clcr.:
and to- be- the patient prey of ileas and
MOSQUITOES.
y wccl passed. Macintyrc had done
nothing ut procure u guide. lie was !.
treasure no duabt, fer hc appeared to
know very ruutc and almost every viii
lagr between Scmipalatinsk and Ak
T'p'. Beauty was not his strong point.
HI face WIS like the top crust Of !,
sqrarc loaf, with two Ohlique Sits for
eyes AMI - ru~e let in TIA" hollow in
the middle. but he could ride and fight
and b. true go his salt, for lcrn..k was
Kara kirghil.
tn" week grew to u month, and the
town became unhcarablc. The long,
straight streets ot hutisc. cleaning white
in the pitilCss sun: IA, strings az vi
cious camels with their filthy drivers
the awful sigh; of relays of prisoners
with pa-iy faces and eyes wolfisli for
liberty denied: the horrible cii,uvium
which steamed from their unvaSlio d
iodiC and their loathsumc rays; above
all. tho STINK ~ IN. prisunS--thesc
things mate nfr - CHASTITY nightmare.
Iuud WAS u secondary consideration.
but u very real uIc. MaciiItyrr lived
upon successive dishes Of mutton. varied
only by an occasional relief If fish.
while he grew tn loathc the sight of
cranbcrries, aud his gorge rose at tie
sour rye bread.
or course lac had not attempted to do
more than send an occasional Telegram
to Fleet street. and these If the most
nonccmmittal character. He visited the
markets and chartered with the mcr-
chants, who, ia return, kept his tongue
Timber to the Turk and gave him val.
liable hints about the county and his
intended rrltr.
His tall. spare figure, clad in light
gray suit of Afghan cloth and crowned
al. IL 4.
the streets came to he Us well known
in Scmipalatinsk Us the oblaz of st
Nicholas outside the church and locl,rt
~ cool. no matter how no. aud dust,
everybody clsr might he.
At last. one day when the nooniid,
sun was blazing his iicrccst; when Ill,
dust was in cyrrything-cycs. ears an,
teeth: when the reck from the riye
and the fetid smell of the prisons ha,
driven everybody else to the shelter g.
the houses and loose limbcd slc,p-Alac
intyrr. looking ~ If h. had lust com
out Of u frigidarlum. viihCut wrinkl
ON his lean. brown face. Though In
ghost of smile kept fitting III his L,el
gray eve. strolled down to thu ufficia
residence If the governor. a bare hric
barrack frizzling in the sun.
There he proceeded. with the utmos
good temper, to awaken every body iron
the sicsta--thc porter at tire gateway
the clerks in the chancellorics. the sec
rotary in his sanc;um.
He was tremendously sorry To- b
such u bore. hut time was getting on
and the argali would be unarwoacha
BILE. So he had come To- inquire abou
those papers ~ his Nothing heard d
vet. Bcastly nuisance! Well. hc woul
look in tomorrow about the same tim,
Perhaps by then they would have som,
thing for him. And he nodded io a,
sweating. cursiug clerks and lounsc
happily away.
Then the governor lost his temp,
and invitations poured in upon the lucl
l-.s Englishman froa all quarters
breakfast, lunch. reception - lie V;
never alone for moment. OF cours'
thus occupied. he was always IN sisl
and could not get into mischief.
But the governor had forgotten h
daughter Marie. This yoang lady III
been to school in England. and muC