Canyon City news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1903-1908, 1904-09-23
A SOLDIER OF
COMMERCE
BY JOHN ROE GORDON
Copyright, 1902. by +. X. Toombs
CHAPTER XIV.

YS-n;N7 in the extreme: but. great as
gAE.....sSa9.y was his danger, he regarded
It as nothing compared to the danger
that threatened Alma He was al
most exhausted from hunger. cold and
grief Th" boat slowly drifted in a
southern direction. making toward the
eastern side of the Caspian II drift.
Ell ont of the ordinary course of navi-
gation. and he watched in vain for n
passing vessel. He watched as long
as possible the course of the ameer's
sloop and reasoned that it WAS making
for the nearest Rokharan port Night
came on. with no rcScning vessel in
sight. Hour after hour he drfted
hoping almost against hope. ever think
ing OF Alma and of way to help her
About midnight IL seemed TO him that
the rocking motion of the bont had
ceased; that it bad become stationary.
Here is pretty ness he cxclaim.
ed. 81 wonder if this old hulk has run
aground. The Caspian is shallow. hmt
] did not think boat like this could
run aground in the middle of it,"
An examination in the dark WAS not
easy. Harvey slid down the pile of
hay. grOnn% about with one hand
while he clung for safety with the 9th
er. He fIncicd he saw Il faint light
glimncring some dstuucp from him.
but it disappeared rs suddenly us 1t
had come. II" saw the light nyaiu n
quick passing from one point 10 nnoth-
er, but showing for n moment only.
"Now. that light iS not ON Il vessel"
Harvey reasoned. "lt is II lantern ear.
ricd around by II person who is walking
on land. If | drificd aground here. Ger
tainIy there cannot be water enough ut
that place 10 float any kind of vessel
"" probably driftod on the shore of
some island Is II hOSpitable island
or will he worse off in the clutches Of
the inhabitants than where | am? The
wind may drive me off again before
morning and a vessel pick me up. But
would the vessel be any safer than this
island? And how can | investigate
without attracting attcntion?'
Soon there was another CLEAN Of
IlSut sum 40 ullSu' Nblll' IIlONs,u uu
open door from light within. A man
was standing between Harvey and the
light. He seemed to be looking toward
the haybOat but soon disappeared into
the same place from which came the
mysterious light.
at is an island" said Harvey. 81 am
now resting on Il shoaI, and the water
cannot he very deep between this and
the island. III swim ashore and risk
It,"
He removed some of his clothing,
made Il bundle of it and slid off into
the water. To his surprise he could
stand on bottom. Carefully he felt his
way. For Il short distance the water
grew moro shallow. Then it cot deep
er. and he was forced to swim. After
Il short swim lie again felt the ground
under his feet, and he waded on to dry
land. The shore was sandy.
He moved slowly and cautiously. 1t
was difficult to locate where the light
had been. He CROPPED along, wander.
ing i'm many curves. Trees were on the
island. but he could see no trace of Il
building. After cropping some time in
the darkness he discovered what ap-
peared to be a rock about five feet
high. Feeling the surface of this, he
found that ii was not q solid rock, but
a rocky formation with an opening on
one side. Lying 1at on the ground
and peuring in, he saw u light far in
the earth, apparently from a lantern
hung on peg. He slowly crawlcd in
side the cave. After advancing for |
several feet he found that he could !
stand Up and walk.
a voice came from behind shelter |
OF the rocky wall that projected into |
the chamber IT pleased Harvey that +,
II was not the voice OF Il Russian. for |
Russians were the only people he had |
any reason to fear
Il huy" spoken" said calm. stern
voice within the concealed chamber
II have given the treasure as II should |
be gwen
Bat no. my brother" came u voice
that seemed to Harvey to ,reILble with |
rot liz. IN" ether. you have done
we'll for yoDrscIf fOu have done well |
for the clans ~ the muuDtaius. But |
we hav" not Jared rs we should WAS
It. not our conra4" that made the accu-
mutation of this booty possible p
''YeS. that is so" answered the first |
speaker "t;ut am ralpak. rhiet at |
the XlnnnckS. md it was | who plan.
red everything. The wealth that came
from the arp"er'S people we were com
pcllrd to hide here until the nneer's |
soldiers had finished their search
among our villages and the wealth |
that came from the BUDDHIST temples. |
which we found the most valuable OF |
MI. and the gold that came from the !
poymastcrs of the Russian soldiers