The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1905-09-02
CHAPTER XVI

I l..
| On leaving Ian Tcheou. the railway
crosses well-cultivated country. wat
cred by numerous streams, and billy
enough to necessitate frequent curves
/ There Is a good deal OF engineering
WORK; mostly bridges. viaducts on wooden
trestles Of somewhat doubtful solidity
and the traveller is not particularly com
Portable when he finds them bending IN
der the weight Of the train. II i true
we are In the Celestial Empire. and
few thousand victims Of a railway ac-
ctdent Is hardly anything among q popu-
lation Of four hundred millions
Besides" said Pan Chao, the Son
Of Heaven never travels BY railway"
At o o'clock in the evening we are AZ
king-Tcheou, after skirtiug for some
time the capricious meanderings Of the
Great Wall. OF this immense artificial
frontier between Mongolia and China
there remain only the blocks Of granite
and red quartzits which served as its
base. its terrace Of bricks with the para
pets Of unequal heights, a few old can
mons eaten into with rust. and hidden
under thick veil Of ichsns, and then
the square towers with their ruined bat.
Elements. The interminable wall rises
rails, bends, bends back again, and Is
lost sight on the undulations Of the
ground.
All night was spent in running three
hundred kilometers, A fog lasted all
day, and this hindered the progress Of
the train. These Chinese engine drivers
are really very skillfuI and attentive ana
intelligent Luckily. the fog rose early
in the evening. Now it is night-and a
very dark night, too.
The idea occurs to me to walk 10 the
rear OF the train, and stop for an in
slant on the gangway in front Of the
treasure van.
The passengers. with the exception Of
the Chinese guard. are all sleeping their
last sleep-their last be it understood an
the Grand Trunsasiatic
Returning 10 the front Of the train
approach Popofs box. AMI find him
sound asleep. / then open the door II
the van, shut 1t behind me. and signal
my presence to Kinko. The panel il low.
cred, the little lamp ia lighted
IL Is ten minutes 10 /. In twelve min
utes we shall pass the junction wffb
the Sankin branch. This branch ia only
completed for five or six kilonafars and
ads 70 the yiaduct over the Tia1 Vaf
ley. This viaduct is great WORT asa
the engineers have as yet only g,t IN
the piers, which rise for a hundred feet
above the ground.
As | know we are to halt NJ Fra,-
ChOo, I shake hands with Kinko. and ~.
70 take my leave. At this moment
seem to hear some one on the platform
in the rear Of the van.
IT pgk Ouf EfvL.Hs -.
per.
The lamp is instantly ertinRuished
and We remain quite still am not mis-
taken. Some one is opening the door Of
the van.
Your panel" / whisper.
The panel Is raised. the car l. shut
and | am alone in the dark. Evidaotlv |
it must be Popof who has come In
What will he think to find me here? The !
hrst time came 10 visit the young Ron.
manian hid among the packages. Well |
will hide second time. If I got be- |
hind EphriuelI's boxes it Is not likely |
that POpof will see me, even By the
light Of his lantern.
do 10, and | watch. II IL not popof |
Tor he would have brought his lantern |
try 10 recognize the people who have |
Just entered. II is difficult. They have |
slided between the packages, and after |
opening the further door. they have gone .
but and shut II behind them
They are some Of the passengers. svi.
lsntly; bat why here-at this haurY |
must know. I have a presentirneut that
is In the wind approach
he front door u the van. and IN spite
II the rumbling II the train I hear them
distinctly enough
Thousands md ten thousand demons.
am not mistaken! II Is the voice Of my
ord foruskiar. lie Is talkiny with
Ihangir In Russian. II il indeed Faru.
.siar. Tie four Mongols have accom-.
,aaled him. But whnt nre they doing
h'ref For what motive nre they on tbr
'tafofm. which is just behind the ten.
i"rf And what are they sayius9
OF these questions and answers ex-
.hnuged between my lord Faruskfar aud
tis CON puuiouz, ! DO not iose q word.
When shall we be at the Junction p
In a few minutes"