Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-06-09

eyes flashed. Then, with look at his
companion, he resumed his habitual in
difference to all that was being said
around him.
CHAPTER XII.
The train is running at high speed. In
the ordinary service, when 1t stops at the
eleven stations between Bokhara and
Samarkand, it takes a whole day over
the distance. This time it took but three
hours to cover the two hundred kilo-
meters which separate the two towns,
and at o'clock in the afternoon it en-
tered the illustrious city of Tamerlane.
Samarkand is situated in the rich oasis
watered by the Zarafchane in the valley
Of Sogd. A small pamphlet l bought
at the railway station informs me that
this great city is one of the four sites
in which geographers "agree" to place
the terrestrial paradise. l leave this
discussion to the exegetists of the pro-
fession. After a stop of six hours our
train started off again at 8 o'clock.
During dinner I noticed that Major
Noltitz continued to keep his eye on his
lordship Faruskair. Had he begun to
suspect him7 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 on my part?
| As for me, I had soon forgotten all
about the Mongol for the man in the
case If I get a chance to visit him
tonight 1 will.
| 1t was about half past eleven when l
| decided to open the door of the van,
which shut behind me.
I 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 is as well that
my No. II should not be surprised by
too sudden an apparition. He is doubt
less asleep. I will give two little knocks
| on the panel; will awake him, and we
will explain matters before he can move.
1 feel as I so. My hand touches the
case; l place my ear against the panel
and I listen. There Is 1T stir, not a
breath! Is my man no. here? Has he
got away7 Has he s,pped out at one
OF the stations without my seeing him
I am just going to knock, when the
locomotives whistle emits its strident
crow as we pass through station. But
J, the train is not going to stop, 1 know,
and wait until the whistling has ceased
1 then give a gentle knock on the
panel. There is no reply. knock more
loudly,
This time it is followed by an invol
| untary movement of surprise and fright
open, open" I say in Russian. ''Ii
is friend who speaks. You have moth
ing to fearw
If the panel is not lowered as had
hoped, there is the crack of match be
ing lighted and feeble light appears II
the case.
look at the prisoner through the
holes In the side. There is look Of
alarm on his face; his eyes are haggard
He does not know whether he is asleeI
or awake.
.'Open, my friend, say; open and
have confidence. I have discovered you
: secret. shall say nothing about it. Or
the other hand, may be Of use to you
You are Roumanian, think, and an
Frenchman."
"Frenchman? You are Frenchman 2
And this reply was given in my owl
!. language, with foreign accent. On
3 more bond between US. The panel slip
= along its groove, and by the light of ,
: little lamp I can examine my No. II.
mo one can see us nor hear us?" b.
asked in half-stifed voice.
q mo one"
1.-THE guard?"
: Asleep"
|
;. Ny new friend takes my hands; b
> clasps them. / feel that he seeks
: support. He understands he can depen
; on me. and he murmurs:
+ DO not betray me-do not betra
: me-
$ "Betray you, my boy? Can you be
lpieve that I, journalist"
e "You are journalism
e "CIaudius Bombarnac, special CORE
j, spondent of the Twentieth Century"
t. "And you are going to Pekin?'
i Through to Pekin."
/ "Ah! Monsieur Bombarnac, Providenc
l. has sent you on to my road"
e Anything I can do for you / will
y What is your name?'
# "Kinko.''
"You are Roumanian, are you not
l. "Roumanian, of Bucharest.
rs "But you have lived in FranceT"
IS -Four years in Paris, where I wa
l. apprentice to an uphoisterer in the Fat
y bourg Saint Antoine"
1t "And you went back to Bucharest
g Eyes, to work at my trade there unit
t, the day came when It was Impossib
4 for me to resist the desire to leave
a ITO leave? WhyT'
ITO marry!''
=. ITO marry Mademoiselle Zinca Klor
le Avenue Cha-Coua, Pekin, China
to You knowY'
Certainly. The address Is on IL
TX box"
ly ''She is a young Roumanian. I kne
to her In Paris. where she was learniI