Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-07-29

"Oh, your hay" shouted one of the
soldiers, with laugh. with the bust
ness of finding prisoner of state or
our minds, we must think of your hay!'
As he spoke he thrust his bayonet deer
into the hay.
"By the GODS" exclaimed another
that is an idea! This man is from
Astrakhan and would no doubt assis,
the American to escape"
"Shut your mouth, foolw said the Of
fcer. There is no American. 1t was
Russian who escaped
pardon! forgot. But the Astra
khans do not love the car"
GLOW much you love the carp re.
piled Charka. ut is fear, not loyalty
that makes you curse me and stab my
hay"
"By heaven, we will stab you! What
did you come to Tifis for?"
ITO sell my hay. 1t has been pur
chased, but not yet paid for"
"Insolent pig! And do you think We
want hay from your"
ut Is for beasts of higher class ]
keep my hay" said Charka calmly.
A volley of curses answered him and
bayonet pricked his leg.
"Charge the hay" said the officer
'They may be hiding in it."
"Burn the .hay!" laughed soldier
"That will settle It,"
Burn 1t If you dare! l have some
thing In my pocket"
"a pistol, which you would use on the
soldiers Of the czarT"
mo; passport to safety signed by
the governor"
do not burn his hay!" shouted the
officer as one Of the soldiers made q
light by twisting wisp of the hay
into the fame Of the lantern. 1--WE are
after prisoners. We do not wish to run
against the passport"
The soldiers were crawling over the
hay, jamming their bayonets deep into
1t. The officer was slashing it with his
sabcr.
dogs of Muscovites! When get my
money, l will not stay in this placer
"What is that?" demanded the of.
fcer, turning on Charka. you call us
dogs-we who are your mastcrs!'
you should tell the mollah that He
would be pleased"
Are you follower of the moliah"
"Who else? 1t is so written. Char
ka Of Ashkar was never false to the
faith"
"Then leave Tifis. The governors
passport will save you from harm, but
IN the name Of the car / command
you to depart at once. There will then
be no chance of your doing mischief
We know the fugitives are not with
you now. But If they came you would
give them shelter"
II say truly would do SO if they
came"
Loosen your boat from its moorings
and take yourself to the Caspian"
but my hay is already sold"
1T is robbing no one. There is plen-
ty of hay, and you say the payment
has, not been made. Go, or I will for
get the passport"
With assumed reluctance Charka
went to the door Of his box, into which
two soldiers had gone to investigate,
and came out with two sleepy Astra-
khans.
Behold the loving acts Of the car,
our MASTER" said Charka to his men.
I'VE have sold our hay, but before
payment is made we are commended
to go to the Caspian"
ut will destroy the hay. There will
be no profit from the fair" said one.
Profits! You want profits from a
fair and yet follow the mollah against
the carp returned one of the soldiers.
Charka made a sign. The men at
once began releasing the boat amid
the shouts and cries Of soldiers and dis
turbed boatmen all along the river.
Hundreds of soldiers focked along the
wharfs, invaded boats, routing out
men and women that they might in
spect the most secret places.
Charka, grumbling and with much
make believe anger, slowly got under
way. The soldiers laughed as the hay
boat began slowly to descend the
stream. The boat was most crude
affair. Its only means of propulsion
was great lateen sail, useless on this
quiet night. So the men resorted to
long poles. and the big boat crawled
along the bank.
The search throughout Tifis went
on. Generals and colonies, many of
them Informed for the first time that
the abductor Of Koura Biartelkis was
an American, Joined i'll the hunt. Off,
GERS in the brilliant uniforms they had
worn ut the ball rushed with those in
working garb and searched bazaars,
coffee houses and churches. There was
not square foot of ground in Tifis
that was not searched nor building
that was not entered.
Mystified, bafIied and enraged, Jur-
nieff rayed and cursed as he paced the
prison corridor. But while he raved,
and soldiers searched, Charka and his
boat continued slowly down the river.
/ BY daylight Charka had made twenty
miles and lied up at the rotttus wharf
NJ 4 nx1aHN <neess f.As els3a AAn - A. A.