Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-08-05
A SOLDIER OF
COMMERCE
By JOHN ROE GORDON
Copyright F.
..beware..: sa1a ersson. now !,

"bewate,"- said urskon. now you
trifle with me-"
II am not trifling with you. I am
! the only man who can help you find
your Koura, and 1t happens that have
as ardent reason to want to find her
as YOU"
"You-you love her!'
II don't even know her, but one I
love is with her"
"Then you did take her awayT'
mo, did not. / know nothing about
Koura-that is, except where she IL
this moment. But. before tell, you
must first tell me how you traced me
to the island"
Orskoff made gesture Of impa-
thence.
"Koura had been living with her un-
Gle in Tiflis. I saw her every day,
and II was not on duty I spent the
evening at the house. One night was
on duty and did not go. I stopped to
see her the next morning, and her un-
Gle, who was beside himself with ter
ror, told me she had gone out the night
before and had not returned. l knew
/, she had been stolen, and, as that was
the morning you escaped from prison.
knew you had taken her. searched
the river and learned that Charka's
hayboat had gone down toward the
Caspian. 1t was said that man and
woman, the woman disguised as a
man, had gone with Charka. I reached
the coast as soon as possible. but I
could not overtake you. The launch
had gone before I made the discovery,
or all this would not have happened.
ron the gunboat cruised everywhere,
using the searchlight at night. Last
night we discovered the hayboat and
at once went to the island"
II was on Charka's boat" said Har.
vey, land If you had used any reason
ing powers you would have known
that it could not have been Koura who
was with me. You say you were told
that the woman with me was disguised
as man. Now. how could get Koura
in such disguise2 When a woman
DISCUSSES herself, it is for a purpose.
Koura was stolen; she did not 60 of her
own accord, as did Alma"
| "You speak of Alma Jurnieff, niece
Of the colonel"
Eyes. She assisted me to escape, and,
as our attempt was discovered before
she could return to her apartments, 1t
was necessary for her to fly with me.
On the Caspian the hayboat met with
disaster, and Alma and I were left on
it alone. We drifted all night, SILVER
ing with cold and hunger. In the morn.
ing we found ourselves under the bows
of q long, black boat belonging to the
ameer Of Bokhara."
II know the boat. It is used to carry
goods to Persia"
mot this time. It Is being used to
carry Alma Jurnieff and Koura Bar
telkis to Bokhara. They permitted AL
ma to go on board, and I, lie fool. in
my excitement allowed them to know
she was not what her clothing would
show. They would not take me, and
the captain, whose name, believe, is
Karakal, or something like that. shout
ed out to me that they had the daugh-
ter Of Biartelkis and that soon both
girls would be the brides Of princes"
els this true? Do you swear you are
telling me the truth? How did they get
KouraT'
"Hafiz Effendi passed us in cayik.
He was intercepted at the mouth Of the
river by the launch, and something
was said about sacks. They were per-
mitted to depart. Undoubtedly the
Turk had Koura concealed
Orskoff spent several minutes in
thought. Suddenly turning to Harvey
he held out his hand, saying:
II believe you. I ask your pardon
for the insults have heaped on you.
This is terrible! Koura gone! A slave
to the heather ameer, and helpless to
aid or rescue her! It makes one mad!
I could drive this sword blade into my
hearth
"sit down and be calm" said Har-
vey. I'VE can rescue Alma Jurnief
and Koura or kill the men who marry
or harm them. Let US work the game
together. am starving. Give me some
food"
The food was ordered.