The Savannah morning news., 1904-02-28

threw off the mask, proclaimed him
self to gathering of the chiefs as the
representative of the Great White
Car, and haughtily demanded their
submission.
Played a Bold Game.
OF course, they were furious.
Swords were drawn and pistols
levelled at his head by dozens of rag
ing Turcomans, but he calmly rolled
a cigarette and said:
You can kill me if you like, but if
you do you will throw away your last
hope of mercy from my master, the
Car. Submit, and he will treat you
as father. Resist, and your tribes
shall all be blotted from the face of
the EARTH
The chiefs whom Russia had bought
quieted the others, and Alikhanoff's
bold bearing made a deep impression.
The Turcomans agreed to discuss the
matter, and Alikhanoff stayed with
them for a fortnight, in imminent peril
of death all the time. Disgusting him
self again, he used every opportunity
to explore the oasis. Each morning,
just after dawn, he stole out from his
camp to secure unobserved a COM
plete survey of the Notifications
erected by the Turcomans.
At last he discovered a plot against
his life, and left. He had nearly con-
WINGED the Turcomans of the desir-
ability of surrender, and he decided
to report to his superiors and then
complete his task.
While he was gone, another Russian
officer, Mohammedan named Nasir-
pegon, visited Merv in disguise; and
ne was followed by young surveyor.
Gospodin Lessar, who is now Russian
Minister at Pekin. These men made
complete surveys of the country
around Merry without the Turcomans
being any the wiser.
Then Alikhanoff, accompanied by a
rev horemen, rode back to Merry,
dressed this time as a Russian officer,
and demanded immediate surrender.
The Turcomans bowed to his indomi-
table will, and their country became
a Russian province, with Alikhanoff.
the former spy, as its Governor. His
old rank of major and all his decora-
lions were restored to him by the
Car, and he now holds a high mill
tary position in Turkestan.
From Secret Service to General.
Many a Russian general now hold
ing high command won his promotion
by secret service work. Gen. Petruse-
witch, who made secret surveys of
Transcaspia, Afghanistan and the Per-
so-Turcoman frontier, rose in that
manner.
For five long years that man car
ried his life in his hand" said an Eng
lish officer who knew him well. Dur
ing all that time he lived and Travelled,
in disguise, among people who would
rather have cut the throat of a Rus
sian agent than eaten their dinner. So
perfect was his command of Central
A Si9 lonpltacn hot bo
successfully completed his task with
out being once detected. During those
five years he assumed dozens of diff
ferent DISCUSSES. Once he Travelled
through a large stretch of Afghanistan
as an English officer making surveys
in view of the possibility of Russian
invasion"
Some years ago a good deal of ex-
element was caused in India by the
arrest at Peshawur of a Russian spy
named Pashino. He had been a dip
lomatist, but fell into disgrace and had
to leave the service. He was suspect
ed of having secretly ascertained the
condition of military and tribunal af-
fairs along the Afghan frontier, and he
was going on through the Khyber
Pass to Cabul to make propositions to
the Ameer of Afghanistan. Nothing
definite could be proved against him,
and he was simply deported to Rus
STA.
Exploits of FAIL Beg.
A Russian officer named Stolietoff,
disguised as a Persian physician. ac-
tually did penetrate to Cabul some
time before and caused a whole lot
of trouble in the relations of Afghan
istan and England. He returned safe
ly, and rose to the rank of general in
the Russian army; as did also Grod-
ekoff, another famous Central Asian
spy.
One of the bravest and most sue
cessful of the secret agent in Turke-
stan, was Fail Beg, a Russianized
Khivan. During the Turcoman cam
paign, he went backwards and for
wards hundreds of times between the
Russian lines and the Turcoman en-
campments and gained invaluable in
formation. Many thrilling stories of
his exploits are told by Russian officers
who took part in that campaign.
He was detected once. as he sat
around a campfire with some Turco-
mans. They overpowered him and
bound him with ropes, intending to
torture him at their leisure, until he
revealed Russian secrets
He waited until the camp fire burned
low, pretending to be asleep. The Tur-
comans curled UP in their blankets,