Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-06-24
A SOLDIER OF
COMMERCE
Blu JOHN ROE GORDON
Copyright F. R. Toombs
Dy JUNN MI
Copyright. 1902. by F. R. Toombs

the night. No one had seen the boal
depart, and there seemed to me some
thing mysterious in this. l sent WORD
to Lieutenant Thokt, who at once start
ed to intercept the boat. The gunboat
overlook Hassan on the Caspian. He
had spoken vessel with a black hull
but the persons on board evidently
wished to have nothing to do with
Hassan, for the black boat went away
Lieutenant Thokt arrived In time to
prevent the escape of Hassan. He can
tell himself what he did"
81 went on board" said Lieutenant
Thokt, "and found Hassan in COM
mand and this other prisoner. evidently
as much in q hurry to escape as Has
san. He said he was an American 60
ing to Astrakhan. The vessel had not
at any time been headed for the Volga.
Hassan told me his story and the
American told me his. They agreed IN
sor.p respects, but differed In others.
I found Koura Biartelkis on board, a
prisoner. and brought her back to Tihis
and arrested Hassan and the Amert-
can"
10 great ones Of earthw moaned
Hassan when called upon to speak for
himself. 1T is with trembling tongue
attempt to tell even the truth, for
what am L? What am I that should
speak to such as thee? But it was as
|. said and as l will say again. came
to the fair with my boat filled with
rich stuffs to sell to the bazaars. did
we'll. eXcellencies. and made a profit
on my goods. but 1t does not pay to
hire sailors for two ways and carry
goods only one. so remained at the
wharf waiting for cargo to take to
Astrakhan, where knew there await
ed me a valuable cargo to take to
Astrabad. but I waited too long, o
excellencies, and it came time for me
to depart without cargo.
"In preparing to leave Tif1is l discov-
cred some linen which l knew lgnatz
Biartelkis would purchase. could not
wait till morning. for then I could not
reach Astrakhan early enough to take
on my cargo. went to the bazaar OF
Biartelkis and told him Of my discov-
cry. Biartelkis was just closing his
bazaar. and when he heard Of the linen
he and his daughter accompanied me
back to my boat. took them to my
cabin and set wine before them and
went to prepare the linen for examina-
ton. was suddenly attacked and
knocked down. A fold Of cloth was
placed in my mouth. 1 heard the young
woman scream, but could not go to
her assistance.
81 heard Biartelkis begging for mer.
cy and some one talking to him. Then
some one took command Of my boat.
and we moved down the river. l was
kept in ignorance for hours, your ex-
ceIlencies. but in the morning was as
tonished to see two men on board that
had never seen before. One was a
tall man. looking like Russian, and
the other was certainl. an Osmanli.
They informed me that unless | and
my sailors did as I was bid would
be killed. They did not release me,
but we kept on down the river. Just be-
fore we reached Salain they left the
boat. They told me that Biartelkis had
agreed to the sale Of his daughter to an
American who would board my boat
at Salain and that must take them
beth to Astrakhan. They told me that
would be watched and unless obey
ed l would be killed. They said l
could not 60 back to Tiflis without be-
ing murdered.
Il was afraid, your excellencies, and
did wnat they told me. At Salain, how
ever, it was not my intention to take
on the American, but to proceed until
I reached Russian gunboat, when l
would turn over the young lady. But
the American knew which boat she
was on, for he came out In small boat
directly in my path and leaped on
board. He threatened me with pistol,
and was compelled to do his bidding.
Seeing another vessel on the Caspian,
| wished to get assistance from them.
hut they feared us and ran away. The
gllnboat came, and | told the officer
the truth. I swear it, by the prophets
beard. have told the truth. l know
no more"
The magistrate turned coldly to Har-
vey.
"All of what that man says is lie,"
said Irons. Except the mere fact that
| did get on his boat in the manner he
describes at Salain. l had taken pas
sage from Astrabad for Astrakhan on
IL boat belonging to the German line.
They had also some machinery l was
going to exhibit at the fair. Arriving
at Salain, the captain Of the boat in
formed me that would have four
hours in which to see the town. l
spent three hours and came back to
the wharf only to see the steamer dis
appearing. was enraged. | wanted
particularly to reach the fair early,
and there would not be boat up the
volga for another week after the one
| had lost. | was standing on the
wharf talking with a peasant when
saw the boat owned by Hassan COM
ing down the Kur. We hailed the
boat and were Informed that she was
bound for Astrakhan. There | was,
with a week to stay in that place and
a boat passing me that was going
straight to where wanted to go. The
peasant got a small boat and rowed
NE out to Hassan's. climbed on