Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1905-02-24
A SOLDIER OF
COMMERCE
Blu JOHN ROE GORDON
r. Toomts
Copyright l0e, by +. r. Toombs

I
! the night No one had seen the boat
depart, and there seemed to me some
! thing mysterious in this. ! sent word
/ 10 Lieutenant Thokt. who at once start
/ ed TO intercept the boat. The gunboat
] overlook Hassan on the Caspian. He
had spoken a vessel with black hull
but the persons on board evidently
wished to have nothing 10 do with
Hassan, for the black boat went away
Lieutenant Thokt arrived in time to
prevent the escape OF Hassan. He can
tell himself what he did"
Il went on board" said Lieutenant
Thokt land found Hassan I'm com
mand and this other prisoner, evidently
as much in a hurry 10 escape as Has
san. He said he was an American go
, ing to Astrakhan. The vessel had not
at any time been headed for the Volga.
! Hassan told me his story and the
American told me his. They agreed in
some respects, but differed In others.
found Koura Biartelkis on board, a
prisoner. and brought her back 10 Tiflis
and arrested Hassan and the Ameri-
can"
80 great ones OF earth" moaned
Hassan when called upon to speak for
himself. 1T is with trembling tongue
attempt TO tell even the truth. for
what am I? What am that should
speak TO such as thee? But II was as
said and as | will say again. l came
TO the fair with my boat filed with
rich stuffs TO sell 10 the baZaars | did
well excellencies, and made a profit
on my goods but II does not pay 10
hire sailors for two ways and carry
goods only one. so l remained at the
wharf waiting for a cargo 10 take TO
Astrakhan, where l knew there await
ed me a valuable cargo TO take TO
Astrabad, but waited too long, o
excellencies, and II came time for me
TO depart without a cargo.
"In preparing TO leave Tifis / discov-
cred some linen which | knew lgnatz
Biartelkis would purchase. could not
wait till morning, for then l could not
reach Astrakhan early enough 10 take
on my cargo. l went TO the bazaar OF
Biartelkis and told him OF my discov-
cry. Bartelkis was just closing his
bazaar. and when he heard OF the linen
he and his daughter accompanied me
back TO my boat / took them TO my
cabin and set wine before them and
went 10 prepare the linen for examina-
ton. was suddenly attacked and
knocked down. A fold of cloth was
placed In my mouth. heard the young
woman scream, but l could not 60 TO
her assistance.
II heard Biartelkis begging for mer-
cy and some one talking TO him. Then
some one took command OF my boat,
and we moved down the river. was
kept in ignorance for hours, your ex-
cellencies. but in the morning was as
tonished to see two men on board that
l had never seen before. One was
tall man, looking like a Russian, and
the other was certainly an Osmanli.
They Informed me that unless | and
my sailors did as | was bid | would
be killed. They did not release me.
but we kept on down the river Just be-
fore we reached Salain they left the
boat. They told me that Biartelkis had
agreed TO the sale Of his daughter TO an
American who would board my boat
at Salain and that / must take them
both to Astrakhan. They told me that
l would be watched and unless obey
ed l would be killed. They said
could not go back TO Tifis without be-
ing murdered.
IL was afraid, your excellencies, and
did what they told me- At Salain. how
ever. II was not my intention to take
on the American, but to proceed until
/ reached a Russian gunboat, when
would turn over the young lady. But
the American knew which boat she
was on, for be came out in small boat
directly In my path and leaped Oh
board. He threatened me with pistol,
and was compelled to do his bidding
Seeing another vessel on the Caspian
l wished TO get assistance from them
but they feared us and ran away. The
gunboat came, and | told the Office.
the truth. l swear 1t, by the prophets
beard. have told the truth. | know
no more"
The magistrate turned coldly to Har-
yey.
"All OF what that man says is lie."
said Irons, except the mere fact that
did get on his boat in the manner he
describes at Salain. had taken pas.
sage from Astrabad for Astrakhan on
a boat belonging to the German line.
They had also some machinery | was
going to exhibit at the fair Arriving
at Salain, the captain OF the boat in
formed me that | would have four
hours in which TO see the town.
spent three hours and came back to
the wharf only TO see the steamer dis.
appearing. | was enraged. | wanted
particularly to reach the fair early.
and there would not he boat up the
Volga for another week after the one
/ had lost was standing on the
wharf talking with a peasant when ]
saw the boat owned 10y Hassan com.
ing down the kur. We hailed the
boat and were Informed that she was
bound for Astrakhan. There I was
with a week TO stay In that place and
a boat passing me that was going
straight 10 where wanted to go. The
peasant got a small boat and rowed
me out 10 Hassan's climbed on