The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-01

II -
arranged Every particle had been wighed and official
y entered and at last Otto received the gold book and
the of the governing inspector and set off his
long journey
On day of the march, Khalibi went his
master and asked the privilege of few minutes
versation.
We going to be stopped the road and murdered
Obi" said Hubner. who told you this?"
Il know it, Of noble birth, because
long and have listened We going to be stopped and
robbed by certain people,"
you know"
ivan Polotkin, the governing inspector"
HE is in great trouble"
What that with it?' .E.a..
'Ehe inspector will himself rob the caravan
"Pouf! Khalibi, you speak like mailman Is it be-
we have SO much gold with that shake in
your shoes?"
It brave man, little father Khirghiz.
But we shall be robbed and shall be murdered
UNLESS what?'
Unless you listen to You will put all the gold in
one of the tarantasses and let me drive it,
How know, Khalibi that this is scheme of
own, that yourself may have designs upon the
gold?" s.
had Of birth, nothing would be easier
for me than to rob you Ny Khrghiz brethren to
called him. Where would you be-? All ask, then, is
that will trust and you will put all the gold in
taranass that will let me drive that tarantass,
for have heard plot which you will not believe but
which know is true" ~-.%s 80. @
But Otto Hubner was too impatient to listen to his
man. He refused point blank to credit his tale; and
chagrined the Khirghiz resumed his reins the
trOka and they plodded
On the fourth night out adventure. happened. The
two Russian cossacks acting escort bolted into
giving loud cries they went. Khalbi shrieked and
flashing of
at mad He had scarcely disappeared in cloud
of dust before the remaining by
Khirghz, all armed with budgeons and long knives,
They fell the two yemshks and beat them almost
death They hamstrung the horses and although Otto
fired and fired again into their midst they length
powered him and smashed his head in WHILE with shouts
Of gee, others sWarmed into the gold tarantass and
secured the heavy boxes 80. ..>. ~
Where it or when it was Otto Hubner knew not,
but he found himself day in noujiks his head
swathed in bandages his whole frame shaken by fever.
The moujk kind, said that had found the
good BARN in the nearly dead and had brought MIN
to his cottage, had him nigh on week
Hubner began think the incidents of his
Journeys and the truth home to him that after ALL
there was something in what Khalibi said. ~
Days weeks passed. and at length Otto recovered
but he pennless, and it wanted yet long journey
Tomsk. Under any circumstances, get there
and his before the else his
liberty would forfeitedfor the loss of gold
tho it was not the empeyss but the property of his
masters crime against the government With
Teutonic pluck he set out to walk to the town
ship, and, after much SUFFERING begging his way as he
went he came to that township and besought the help
of the natchanik headman. But the natchalnk
fused to listen to his tale Nothing had been heard he
said, Of any robbery. The a madrnan, and he
sent Otto away forthwith, r% .-a4
The poor fellow nearly distracted, for not
only in want Of the bare necessities of fe but
the fact that he possessed passport placed him in end
less trouble with the police But the poverbal kindness
of the Russian moujiks saved him from actual starva-
ton Whenever he to village, whenever he came
to town. he of bite of black bread bowl
a glass
dodge villages and in the woods becoming,
forward, dirty, disreputabe than
To recount his many adventures he tramped over
the steppe to Tomsk would take space than
give it, but it in the first fall of that dirty,
unkempt presented himself to the policeman
the city Of Tos and asked to be taken to the
governor. He had passport he not Russian sub
ject soldier in bewilderment took him the
police office and handed him to the tender ercies of
the policemaster This individual brutal and ignorant
functionary would believe nothing insisted that
Siberia without possessed and must be
"arrestant" and forthwith he must explain himself
justices. So it winter before Otto Hubner
emerged the prison and taken
house. where Siberian justice melted out He saw
then general governor of Tonsk and in the parey
ensued, he able to explain the circumstances
of his extraordinary escapade. The governor COM
paratively intelligent struck with the story
ubner with all the curiosity of the Russian
up his mind to probe it to the bottom. Hubner
set free-free, least, far the prison
cerned given in the house of the
ernor, and also given clothes and better food