The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-06-14

difference to all that was being said
around him.
CHAPTER ri.
| The train Is running at high speed. In
the ordinary service, when 1t stops at the
eleven stations between Bokhara and
Snmarkand. It takes a whole day over
the distance. This time 1t took but three
hours to cover the two hundred kilo-
meters which separate the two towns,
and at 2 o'clock in the afternoon 1t en-
tered the illustrious city of Tamerlane.
Samarknnd is situated In the rich oasis
watered by the Zarafchane in the valley
of Sogd. A small pamphlet I bought
at the railway station informs me that
this great city Is one of the four sites
in which gcographers "agree" to plnce
the terrestrial paradise. leave this
discussion to the exegetists of the pro-
fession. After stop of ak hours our
train started off again at 8 o'clock.
During dinner 1 noticed that Major
Noltitz continued to keep his eye on his
Iordship Faruskair. Had he begun to
suspect him2 Was It Of any importance
In his opinion that this Mongol seemed
to know, without appearing to do 80. the
three second-class travellers, who were
also Mongols? Was his imagination
working with the same activity as mine? !
And was he taking seriously what was
only joke OH my part?
| As for me, l had soon forgotten all
about the Mongol for the man in the
case. II | get a chance to visit him
tonight I will.
1t was about half past eleven when l
decided to open the door of the van,
which l shut behind me.
knew that the young Roumanian was
not always shut up in his box. and the
fancy might just have taken him to
stretch his limbs by walking from one
end to the other of the van The dark
ness is complete. No Jet of light filters
through the holes of the case. That seems
all the better for me. 1t IL as well that
my No. IL should not he surprised by
too sudden an apparition. He is doubt
less asleep. / will give two little knocks
on the panel: l will awake him, and we
will explain matters before he can move
| l feel as | go. My hand touches the
cnse; l place my ear against the panel
md l listen. There Is / 1t a stir. not n
breath! IL my man nc. here! Has he
got away? Has he s'pped out at one
OF the stations without my seeing him ?
l am just going to knock. when the
locomotives whistle emits its strident
crow as we pass through a station. But
the train is not going to stop. l know,
and wait until the whistling has ceased
l then give n gentle knock on the
panel. There Is no reply. knock more
loudly.
This time it is followed by nm invol-
nf fr;
"Open. open" ! say In Russian. at
is friend who speaks. You have moth
ing TO fear" ..~....,s.---.....
IL the panel IL not lowered as | had
| hoped, there Is the crack Of match be-
ing lighted and feeble light appears in
the case.
l look at the prisoner through the
holes In the side. There il look Of
alarm on his face; his eyes are haggnrd.
He does not know whether he IL asleep
or awake.
"Opcn. my friend. l say: open and
have confidence. have discovered your
secret. | shall say nothing about 1t. On
| the other hand. l may be Of use to You.
You are Roumanian, l think, and am
Frenchmnn."
'Frenchman? You are Frenchman?"
And this reply was given in my own
language. with foreign accent. One
more bond between Ms. The panel slips
along its groove. and by the light Of a
little lamp can examine my No. II.
| "No one can zee us nor hear us?" he
asked In a half-stiHed voice.
mo one"
THE guard?"
asleep"
Ny new friend takes my hands; he
| clasps them. feel that he seeks
support. He understands he can depend
on me. and he murmurs:
do not betray me-do not betray
me-"
"Betray you, my boy7 Can you be-
lpieve that l. journalist-"
"You are a journalist 2"
"Claudius Bombarnac, special CORE.
spondent Of the Twentieth Century"
And you are going to Pekin?"
Through TO Pekin."
"Ah! Monsieur Bombarnac, Providence
has sent you on to my road"
Anything l can do for you l will.
What is your name?"
'Kinko."
you are Roumanian. are you not?"
'Roumanian, Of Bucharest"
'But you have lived In France?'
-Four years In Paris. where / was
apprentice to an upholsterer in the Eau
bourg Saint Antoine"
And you went back to Bucharest?'
Yes. to work at my trade there until
| the day came when II was impossible
| for me to resist the desire to leave"
ITO leavef whyT
"To marry!
ITO marry Mademoiselle Zinca Klork,
| Avenue Cha-Coua, Pekin, China"
you know
Certainly. The address Is on the
box"
''Shs is a young Roumanian. I knew
her In Paris. where she was learning