The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-07-12
CHAPTER XXI.


When I awOke ! seemed to have had
an unpleasant dream. The bandit chief,
Ti-Tsang, had prepared q acheme for
the seizure Of the Chinese treasure; he
had attacked the train in the plains Of
Cobb; the car Is assaulted, pilla ged, ran
sacked; the gold and precious stones. to
the value of fifteen millions. are torn
from the grasp of the Celestials, who
yield after a coura geous defense. As to
the passengers. another two minutes OF
sleep would have settled their fate
and mine.
But all that disappeared with the
vapors of the night. Dreams are not
fixed photographs they fade In the sun,
and end by effacing themselves.
In taking my stroll through the train
as a good townsman takes his stroll
through the town. am joined by Major
Noltltx. After shaking hands. he show
ed me a Mongol in the second-class car,
and said to me, THAT Is not one Of those
we picked up at Douchak when we pick
ed up Faruskiar and Changer"
That is So" said I; ~ never saw that
face In the train before"
PopOf, to whom I applied for infOr-
nation. told me that the Mongol had got
IN at Tchertchen. when he arrived"
he said. 'the manager spoke to him for
minute, from which ! concluded that
he also was one Of the stnff of the Grand
Transasiatic."
had not noticed Faruskiar during my
walk. Had he alighted at one of the
small stations between Tchertchen and
TcharkaIyk, where we ought to have
been about o'clock In the afternoon?
M no nd shop mir tha
way in front of our car. They seemed
to be in an animated conversation, and
only stopped to take a good look toward
the northeastern horizon Had the Mon
gol brought some news which had made
them throw off their usual reserve and
gravity? And abandoned myself to my
Imagination, foreseeing adventures, at
lacks OF bandits and so on, according to
my dream.
l was recalled to reality by the Rev.
Nathaniel Morse who said to me: ut
Is fxed for to-day; do not forget"
That meant the marriage of Fulk Eph-
rinell and Horatia Bluett. Really, l was
not thinking of it. 1t is time for me to
go and dress for the occasion. All can
do will be to change my shirt. 1t is
enough that one of the husba nd's wit
nesses should be presentable; the other
Caterna. will be sure to be magnificent
1t was at 8 o'clock that this marriage
was to take place. announced by the bell
or the tender. which was to sound full
clang as if it were a chapel bell. With
little imagination we could believe we
were In village But whittier did this
hell invite the witnesses and guests? Into
the dining car. which had been conven.
ientty arranged for the ceremony, as ]
had taken good care.
1t was no longer a dining car: it was a
hail car, If the expression is admissible
The big table had been taken away and
replaced by small table which served
rs desk. A few flowers bought at
Tchertchen had been arranged in the
corners of the car. which was large
enough to hold nearly all who wished to
he present-and those who could not get
inside could look on from the gangways
quarter to nine. No one has vet
seen the happy couple. Miss Bluett Is
In one of the toilet cabinets in the first
van. where she il probably preparing
herself. Fulk Ephrinell ia perhaps
struggling with his cravat and giving a
last polish to his portable jewclry / am
not anxious. We shall see them as soon
as the bell rings
l have but one regret. and that IL that
Fariskiar aud Ghangir should be too
busy to join us. Why do they continue
to look over the immense desert? Be
fore their eyes there stretches not the
cultivated stepps of the Lob Nor region
but the Cobb, which is barren, dcsolate
and gloomy. 1t may be asked why these
people are keeping such an obstinate
lookout.
IF my presentiments do not deceive
me-" said Major Noltitz, there is some
reason for it,
What does he mean? But the hell of
the tender, the tender bell, begins its
joyous appeal. Nine o'clock; it is time to
go into the dining car.
The passengers move in procession,
the four witnesses first. then the guests
from the end Of the village-I mean of
the train; Chinese, Turkomans, Tartnrs.
men and women, all curious to assist t
the ceremony. The four Mongols remain
on the last gangway near the treasure,
which the Chinese soldiers do not leave
for all instant.
We reach the dining ear The clergy.
man is seated at the little table. ON which
Is the certificate Of marriage he has
prepared according to the customary
form. He looks as though he was nc.
customed to this sort Of thing. which is
as much commercial as matrimonial.
Here is Mr.. Fulk Ephrinell, dressed
this morning just as he was dressed veg
terday. with pencil behind the lobe of
his left ear, for he has just been making
out an account for his New York house,
Here Is Miss Horatin Bluett. as thin,
as dry. "a plain as ever, her dust -cloa k
over her travelling gown, and In place
Of jewelry a noisy bunch of keys, which
hangs from her belt
The company politely rise a. the bride
and bridegroom enter. They mark
time" as Caterna says. Then they adj.
vance toward the clergyman, who Ia
standing with his hand resting on a
Bible. open probably at the place where
Isaac, the son Of Abraham. espouses Re
becca. the daughter Of Rachel.
We might fancy we were in a chapel
II we only had a harmonium. And the