The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-07-15

"Quick! said the major. "Out of the
train"
| CHAPTER XXI.
| In a moment the passengers. more or
less bruised and alarmed, were out on
the track Nothing but complaints and
questions uttered in three or four diher-
ent languages, amid general bewilder-
| ment.
| Faruskiar, Ghangir and the four Mon
gols were the first to jump of the cars.
They are out on the line, kandijar in one
hand, revolver in the other. No doubt
an attack has been organized to pillage
the train.
| The rails have been taken up for about
hundred yards, and the engine, after
humping over the sleepers, has come to
standstill in sand hill.
| what! The railroad not finished
and they sold me a through ticket from
Tifis to Pekin! And l came by this
Transasiatic to save nine days In my
trip round the worldw shouted the voice
of the irascible baron.
| "The baron is mistaken" said Popof.
"the railway is completed, and It hum
dred yards of rails have been lifted here,
1t has been with some criminal inten-
ton"
| 'To stop the train" exclaim.
"And steal the treasure they are send
ing to Pekin!" says Caterna.
There is no doubt Of that" says
Popof. BE ready to repulse an attack. "
'It is Ki-Tsang and his gang that we
! have to do with?" I ask.
T.
the passengers and caused inexpressible
! terror.
| The major said TO me in a low voice.
| "Why KiTsang? Why not my lord
Faruskiar?"
"He-the manager of the Transasi-
aticY'
eff it Is true that the company had to
take several of these robber chiefs into
its confidence to assure the safety Of the
trains"
81 will never believe that, major"
"As you please, Monsieur Bombarnac.
But assuredly Faruskiar knew thatthis
pretended mortuary van contained mill
ions."
"Come, major, this is no time for jok-
ing"
| No, it was the time for defending, and
defending ones self courageous1y. The
Chinese officer has placed his men around
the treasure van. They are twenty in
number, and the rest of the passengers,
rot counting the women, amount to thir-
ty Popof distributes the weapons,
which are carried in case of attack.
Major Noltitz, Caterna, Pan Chao, Eph-
rinell, driver and stoker, passengers, Ash
attic and European, all resolve to fight
for the common safety.
| On the right of the line, about a hun
dred yards away, stretches a deep,
gloomy thicket. sort Of jungle, in which
doubtless are hidden the robbers, await
ing the signal to pounce upon us.
Suddenly there is a burst of shouting,
the thicket has given passage to the
gang in ambush-some sixty Mongols
nomads of the Cobb If these rascals
beat us, the train will be pillaged, the
treasure of the Son of Heaven will be
stolen, and, what concerns us more in.
timately. the passengers will be massa-
cred without mercy.
And Faruskiar, whom Major Noltitz
SO unjustly suspected? look at him
His face is no longer the same; his fine
features have become pale, his height
has increased, there is lightning in his
eyes.
The bandits fire a volley, and begin
brandishing their arms and shouting
Faruskiar, pistol in one hand, kandijar in
the other, has rushed on to them, his
eyes cleaning. his lips covered with a
light foam. Changer is at his side, fol
lowed by four Mongols whom he is ex.
citing by word and gesture.
Major Noltitz and / throw ourselves
into the midst of our ASSISTANTS. Ca.
terna is in front of us, his mouth open
his white teeth ready to Dite, his eyes
blinking, his revolver fourishing about
The actor has given place to the old sail
or who has reappeared for the occasion
These beggars want to board us,
said he. Forward, forward, for thu
honor of the flag! To port, there, fire
To starboard, there, FIRE! All together
fire!'
And it was with no property daggers
he was armed, nor dummy pistols loaded
with inoffensive powder. No! A revolver
In each hand. he was bounding along, FIR
ing right and left, and everywhere.
Fan Chao also exposed himself brave
", smile on his lips, CALAMITY leading
on the other Chinese passengers. Popoi
and the railway men did their duty
bravely. Sir Francis Trevellyan, OF
1revellyan Hall, took matters very
coolly, but Ephrinell abandoned himself
to true Yankee fury, being no less irri
tated at the interruption to his marriage
than as to the danger run by his forty
two packages Of artificial teeth.
Faruskiar, my hero-I cannot call him
anything else-displays extraordinary In
trepidity, bearing himself the boldest IL
the struggle, and when he had exhausted
his revolver, using his kandijar like .
man who had often faced death and ney
e. feared It.