The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-08-05
The SpeciaI '<oirl'ssjp ut

aCCOmpIce WAS aC the p01QCS. anu ID
soon as the signal was given that. we
were on the. branch all he had to do was
to gain the. footplate, kill the driver
and stoker, slow the train and get on,
leaving the steam on full to work up TO
full speed.
And now there could be no doubt that
the scoundrels, worthy the most refined
tortures that Chinese practice could de-
wise, were Fastening down into the Zion
valley. There, amid the wreck OF the
train, they expected to find the fifteen
millions of gold and precious stones, and
this treasure they could carry OF with
out fear Of surprise when the night en-
abled them to consummate this fearful
crime. Well, they have been robbed,
these robbers, and hope they will pay
for their crime. with their lives, at the
least. I alone know what has passed,
but l will tell the story, for poor hlnko
is no more.
Yes, my mind is made up. l will
speak as soon as / have seen Zlnca
Klork. The poor girl must be told with
consideration. The death Of her be-
trothed must not come upon her like
thunderclap. Yes, tomorrow, as soon as
we are at Pekin.
After all, If I do not say anything
about Kinko, may at least denounce
Faruskiar and Changer and the four
Mongols. can say that saw them 60
through the van, that I followed them,
that I found they were talking on the
gangway, that I heard the screams OF
the driver and stoker as they were
strangled on the footplate, and that
then returned to the cars, shouting,
Back! Backw or whatever it was.
We are now standing at the head OF
the train, Major Noltitz, the German
baron, Caterna, Ephrinell, Pan Chao,
Popof-about twenty travellers in all.
The Chinese guard, faithful to their
trust, are still near the treasure, which
not one of them has abandoned. The
rear guard has brought along the tall
lamps, and by their powerful light we
can see in what a state the engine Is.
If the train, which was then running
at an enormous velocity, had not stopped
suddenly and thus brought about its de-
struction it was because the boiler had
exploded at the top and on the side.
The wheels being unchanged, the engine
had run far enough to come gradually
to a standstill of itself, and thus the
passengers had been saved a violent
shock.
OF the boiler and its accessories only a
few shapeless fragments remained. The
funnel had gone, the dome, the steam
chest; nothing but torn plates, broken.
twisted tubes, split cylinders, and loose
connecting rods-gaping wounds in the
corpse Of steel.
And not only had the engine been de-
stroyed, but the tender had been rem
dered useless. Its tank had been cracked
and its load Of Goals scattered over the
line. The luggage van, curious to re-
late, had miraculously escaped without
injury.
''It is only too evident" said one of
the passengers, that our driver and
stoker have persisted in the explosion"
Poor fellowsv' said Popof. "But 1
wonder how the train could have got
on the Nankin branch without being no
ticed?"
1.-THE night was very dark" said Eph-
rinell, ''and the driver could not see
the points"
THAT is the only explanation posi-
hle." said Popof, FOR he would have
tried to stop the train, and. on the con-
trary. we were travelling at tremendous
speed"
But" said Pan Chao, chow does it
happen the Nankin branch was open
when the Tjon viaduct is not finished
Had the switch been interfered with?'
Undoubtedly" said Popof, "and prob
ably out Of carelessness."
Up to now Major Noltitz had taken
no part in the discussion. Now he in
terrupted Popof. and in a voice heard
by all, he asked:
"Where is Faruskiar?
They all looked about and tried to dis
cover what had become of the manager
oe the Transasiatic.
"And where is his friend Ghangir -
asked the major. There was no reply.
"And where are the four Mongols who
were in the rear van?" asked Major
Noltitz
And none of them presented them
selves.
"Well, then" said Major Noltitz, "the
rascal who sent us on to the Nankin
line, who would have hurled us into the
Tjon valley, to walk off with the impe-
IldI tISdSuICs ID uSkldT.
WHAT said Popof. 1.-THE manager
of the company, who so courageously
drove of the bandits and killed their
chief, Ki-Tsang, with his own handY'
Then entered ON the scene
1.-THE major is not mistaken. It was
Faruskiar who laid this trap for u.s.
And amid the general stupefaction I
told them what l knew, and what good
fortune had enabled me to ascertain.
told them. how l had overheard the
plan Of Faruskiar and his Mongols,
when it was too late to stop it, but l
was silent regarding the Intervention Of
Kinko. The moment had not come, and
would do him justice in due time.
Now that all danger had disappeared,
We must take immediate measures for
running back the cars on to the Pekin
line.
The best thing to do IL to 90 to the
nearest station, that Of Fuen-C hoo, and
telegraph to- Tai Youan for them to send
OH relief engine" suggested.
Twelve of us, including Pan Chao,
Co<o