The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1905-07-01

stafion, and it will be, useless for Made
Inoise4le Nnca Klork to expect him in
the capital of the Chinese empire.
N would be better for me to relieve
ms anxiety this very night. That Is i'm
posslDle, Tor the train will soon stop
at SIheok Tepe. and then at Askhabad.
winch 1t will leave In the FIRST hour Of
aayhght. can no longer trust to Pop
offs going to sleep.
l am absorbed in these reflections
when the locomotive stops in Check Tepe
statlon at o'clock In the morning. lne
train starts at 2 o'clock, after having
Deen Joined by a few passengers whom
| ropof tells me are Turkomans.
/ ! enVied the sleep of my companions.
Inc dawn was appearing in the east.
Here and there were the ruins Of an
ancient city, a citadel girdled with high
ramparts and a succession Of long porti-
Goes extending over fifteen hundred
yards. Running over q few embank-
ments necessitated by the inequalities
OF the sandy ground, the train again
reaches the horizontal. steppe.
We are running at a speed of thirty
miles an hour in southwesterly direc-
ton along the Persian frontier. 1t Is
only beyond Douchak that the line be-
gins to leave it. We reached that sta
ton at q O'Clock in the morning.
We stop here two hours. am off to
look at Douchak, with Major Noltitz as
my cicerOne. l was led to question the
major regarding the safety Of the Grand
Iransasiatic across the provinces of Cen
trail Asia.
In Turkestan, he told me, the safety
Is well assured. During the years the
Transcaspian has been at work there has
been no attack to hinder the train ser
vice.
THAT is another matter" said the
major. THE Grand Transasiatic is I'M
der Chinese CONTROL and have not
much confidence in that"
Are there not a lot of scoundrels
prowlinS about Mongolia and Northern
Gilman" l asked. MY sole anxiety is
that our journey may not be devoid of
incident"
Really, Mr.. Special Correspondent
admire you. Well, / am afraid you will
be disappointed, as l have heard that
the company has treated with several
chiefs of the robber bands. But there
is one of these highwaymen who has
retained his independence and liberty of
action, a certain Ki-Tsang."
who is he2'
"a bold bandit chief, half Chnaman,
. half Mongol Having for some time been
a terror to Yunan, he was being too
closely pursued, and has now moved into
the northern provinces. His presence has
even been reported In that part of Mon
golia served by the Grand TranSasiatic."
well, he ought to furnish a few
paragraphs"
We returned toward the station. The
stoppage at Douchak had another half
hour to last As l walked on the quay,
observed something going on which
would change the makeup of our train.
Another van had arrived from Teher-
+ an by the branch line OF Mesched, which
puts the Persian capital in communica-
ton with the Transcaspian.
This van was bolted and barred, and
, accompanied by a squad of Persian po-
lice, whose orders seemed to be not to
=, lose sight Of 1t.
don't know what made me think 50
but 1t seemed as though this van had
something about 1t, and as the major
> J had left me, 1 went and spoke to Popof
| woh was watching over the proceedings
"Uopof, where Is that van going|
ITO Pekin."
ana what mas IL got III III
IAN exalted parsonage"
"Well, Popof, when this exalted per
sonage gets out perhaps you will lei
me know"
. He will not get out"
"Why notT'
Because he 10 dead. It is his body
n they are taking to Pekin, where he will
be inferred with all the honors due t.
him."
e While I was looking at this van {
$ new passenger came up and examined
a it with no less curiosity than l did. H.
d was a fine looking man Of about 40
S wearing gracefully the costume Of thu
3 richer Mengols, a tall fellow with rathe
l. a gloomy look, a military mustache, taw
# nv complexion and eyes that never shut
k Here is a splendid fellow" I said t.
n myself. II don't know If he will turl
out the hero of the drama l am II
IT search of, but anyhow, l will numbe
IS him twelve in my travelling troupe"
n This leading star, soon learned from
l. Popof, bore the name Of Faruskiar. H
70 was accompanied by another Mongol o
inferior rank, of about the same age
l. whose name was Ghangir. AS they look
l. ed at the van being attached to the tai
,r of the train In front of the luggage val
q they exchanged few words. AS 500
% as the arrangements were complete tn
Persians took their places In the second
" class car. which preceded the mortuar
Il van. so as to have the precious corps
always under their surveillance.
s. The signal is given. The passengers
old and new, hurry to their places
10 Among the new ones notice three MOI
~ gols of forbidding appearance, who &c
III into the second-class car.
ID As l put my foot on the platform
hear the young Chinese say something
u his companion In French.
g, And so Pan Chao speaks French
es What do say? Better than French. H
J. speaks Partisan. Most extraordinary!
Is must have q talk with him.
CHAPTER TX.
For an hour the train 10 runnin
or through An oasis. We shall soon be
1e the open desert. 1t Is half past Il
breakfast will soon be served in the dill
inc ear