Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-06-02
The Special Correspondent
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he will be put under guard at the next
station, and it will be useless for Made
moiselle Zinca Klork to expect him in
the capital of the Chinese empire.
1t would be better for me to relieve
his anxiety this very night. That is i'm
possible, for the train will soon stop
at Gheok Tepe, and then at Askhabad.
which it will leave in the first hour OF
daylight. l can no longer trust to Pop
offs going to sleep.
I am absorbed in these reflections
when the locomotive stops in Gheok Tepe
station at 1 o'clock in the morning. LAe
train starts at 2 o'clock, after having
been Joined by few passengers whom
| Popof tells me are Turkomans.
l envied the sleep Of my companions.
| The dawn was appearing in the east.
Here and there were the ruins of an
ancient city, a citadel girdled with high
ramparts and succession of long port1-
Goes extending over fifteen hundred
yards. Running over a few embank-
ments necessitated by the inequalities
of the sandy ground, the train again
reaches the horizontal steppe.
| We are running at a speed of thirty
miles an hour in a southwesterly direc-
ton along the Persian frontier. 1t is
only beyond Douchak that the line be-
gins to leave it. We reached that sta
ton at o'clock in the morning.
| We stop here two hours. l am off to
look at Douchak, with Major Noltitz as
my cicerone, l was led to question the
major regarding the safety of the Grand
Transasiatic across the provinces of Cen
trail Asia.
In Turkestan, he told me, the safety
is well assured. During the years the
Transcaspian has been at work there has
been no attack to hinder the train ser
vice.
THAT is another matter" said the
major. "The Grand Transasiatic is un-
der Chinese control, and 1 have not
much confidence in that"
"Are there not lot of scoundrels
prowling about Mongolia and Northern
China?" 1 asked. "My sole anxiety is
that our journey may not be devoid OF
incident"
Really, Mr.. Special Correspondent, 1
; admire you. Well, I am afraid you will
be disappointed, as / have heard that
the company has treated with several
chiefs Of the robber bands. But there
is one of these highwaymen who has
retained his independence and liberty OF
action, a certain KiTsang."
| w no IS Ne.
"a bold bandit chief, half Chinaman,
half Mongol. Having for some time been
, a terror to Yunan, he was being toe
closely pursued, and has now moved into
the northern provinces. His presence has
even been reported in that part Of Mon
goia served by the Grand Transasiatic. u
"Well, he ought to furnish a few
paragraphs"
VU- L. M,
y stoppage at Douchak had another hall
:. hour to last. As l walked on the quay
i, 1 observed something going on which
> would change the makeup of our train.
), Another van had arrived from Teher
4 an by the branch line Of Mesched, which
g puts the Persian capital in communica
n ton with the Transcaspian.
This van was bolted and barred, ant
accompanied by squad of Persian po
Z lice, whose orders seemed to be not t.
:. - lose sight of it.
I don't know what made me think sc
but it seemed as though this van ha'
:. something about it, and as the majo
:. had left me- went and spoke to Popo1
: woh was watching over the proceedings
- "Uopof, where is that van going?"
"To Pekin."
- "And what has it got in itY'
'e can exalted parsonage"
"Well, Popof, when this exalted pei
sonage gets sout perhaps you will le
ie me know p
~ "He will not get out"
- "Why not?'
IN Because he. is dead. It is his bod
III they are taking to Pekin, where he wi
ID be inferred with all the honors due t
him."
lie While I was looking at this van
is new passenger came up and examine
ID it with no less curiosity than l did. q
ID was a fine looking man Of about A
is wearing gracefully the costume of tt
Is richer Mongols, tall fellow with ratht
n a gloomy look, military mustache, tav
Of ny complexion and eyes that never shu
TX "Here is splendid fellow" said |
,n myself. 81 don't know IL he will tua
out the hero Of the drama l am
OF search of, but anyhow, I will numb,
is him twelve in my travelling troupe"
er This leading star, soon learned fro
NJ Popof, bore the name of Faruskiar. E
ce was accompanied by another Mongol
inferior rank, Of about the same az
h whose name was Ghangir. As they loo
al ed at the van being attached to the ts
er of the train in front Of the luggage vs.
to as the arrangements were complete t
Persians took their places in the secon
lly class car, which preceded the mortua
ed van, SO as to have the precious corp
always under their surveillance.
IS The signal is given. The passenger
old and new, hurry to their place
he Among the new ones notice three Mo
ms gols of forbidding appearance, who 8
sh into the second-class car.
nd As 1 put my foot on the platform
hear the young Chinese say something
led his companion in French.
MS, And SO Pan Chao speaks Frent
les What do 1 say? Better than French.
AL speaks Partisan. Most extraordinary
its must have talk with him.
CHAPTER TX.
For an hour the train Is runni
oor through an oasis. We shall soon be
the the open desert 1t is half past
D rooiyfast will eoon ho sorvod in tho n