Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-07-28

were on the branch all he had to do was
to gain the footplate, kill the driver
and stoker, slow the train and get OF,
leaving the steam on full to work up to
full speed.
And now there could be no doubt that
the scoundrels, worthy the most rehned
tortures that Chinese practice could de-
wise, were Fastening down into the lion
valley. There, amid the wreck OF the
train, they expected to find the fifteen
millions of gold and precious stones, and
this treasure they could carry Off with
out fear of surprise when the night en-
abled them to consummate this fearful
crime. Well, they have been robbed,
these robbers, and 1 hope they will pay
for their crime with their lives, at the
least. I alone know what has passed,
but 1 will tell the story, for poor kinko
is no more.
Yes. my mind is made up. will
speak as soon as 1 have seen Zinca
Klork. The poor girl must be told with
consideration. The death Of her be-
trothed must not come upon her like a
thunderclap. Yes, tomorrow, as soon as
we are at Pekin.
After all, if 1 do not say anything
about Kinko, I may at least denounce
Faruskiar and Ghangir and the four
Mongols. l can say that saw them go
through the van, that [ followed them,
that 1 found they were talking on the
gangway, that 1 heard the screams of
the driver and stoker as they were
strangled on the footplate, and that l
then returned to the cars, shouting,
"Back! Backw or whatever it was.
We are now standing at the head of
the train, Major Noltitz, the German
baron, Caterna, Ephrinell, Pan Chao,
Popof- about twenty travellers in all.
The Chinese guard, faithful to their
trust, are still near the treasure, which
not one of them has abandoned. The
rear guard has brought along the tail
lamps, and by their powerful light we
can see in what state the engine Is.
If the train, which was then running
at an enormous velocity, had not stopped
suddenly and thus brought about its de,
struction it was because the boiler hao
exploded at the top and on the side
The wheels being undamaged, the engine
| had run far enough to come gradually
to standstill of itself, and thus the
passengers had been saved a violent
shock.
| Of the boiler and it's accessories only 6
few shapeless fragments remained. Tht
funnel had gone, the dome, the steam
chest; nothing but torn plates, broken
twisted tubes, split cylinders, and loos'
connecting rods-gaping wounds in thu
corpse of steel.
And not only had the engine been de
stroyed, but the tender had been rem
dered useless. Its tank had been cracket
and it's load Of Goals scattered over tn
line. The luggage van, curious to re
late, had miraculously escaped withou
injury.
cit is only too evident" said one o
the passengers, that our driver an
stoker have perished in the explosion"
Poor fe1lows!" said Popof. "But
wonder how the train could have &c
on the Nankin branch without being nc
ticed?'
"The night was very dark" said Ept
rinell, "and the driver could not Sc
the points"
'.That is the only explanation poss
ble," said Popof, ''for he would hav
tried to stop the train, and, on the col
trary, we were travelling at tremendou
speed"
But" said Pan Chao, chow does
happen the Nankin branch was ope
when the Tjon viaduct is not finished
Had the switch been interfered with?
Undoubtedly" said Popof, "and pro-
ably out of carelessness."
Up to now Major Noltitz had take
no part in the discussion. Now he il
:, terrupted Popof, and in voice heal
by all, he asked:
"Where is Faruskiar?"
: They all looked about and tried to di
: cover what had become of the manag
= os the Transasiatic.
"And where is his friend Ghangir
asked the major. There was no reply.
= "And where are the four Mongols wi
= :. were in the rear van?" asked Maj
- Noltitz.
And none of them presented the1
! selves.
i "Well, then," said Major Noltitz, st
;, rascal who sent us on to the Nank
), line, who would have hurled us into t
:. Tjon valley, to walk off with the imp
rial treasure, is Faruskiar."
"Whatv' said Popof. "The manag
4 of the company, who SO courageous
. drove off the bandits and killed the
chief, Ki-Tsang, with his own handY
!. Then / entered on the scene.
1.-THE major is not mistaken. It w
Faruskiar who laid this trap for u.s.
And amid the general stupefaction
= told them what l knew, and what go
. fortune had enabled me to ascertai
y l told them how l had overheard t
= plan of Faruskiar and his Mongo
!, when it was too late to stop it, but
~ was silent regarding the Intervention
Kinko. The moment had not come, a
Is I would do him justice in due time.
u Now that all danger had disappeart
u we must take immediate measures
running back the cars on to the Pei
y line.
:. "The best thing to do is to go to
- nearest station, that of Fuen-Choo, a
- telegraph to Tai-Youan for them to BE
: OH a relief engine" I suggested.
10 Twelve of us, including Pan CHI
~ Caterna and myself, volunteered to
20 company Major Noltitz. But by co
m mon accord we advised Popof not
abandon the train, assuring him that
an would do all that was necessary
~ Fuen-Choo.
at Then, armed with daggers and revo
re ers-it was one o'clock in the morning
,st we went along the line to the juncti
en- walking as fast as the very dark nj