The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1905-07-01
CHAPTER

CAAAA 1EsrA l.
Claudius Bombarnae, Special Core
spondent Twentieth Century. Tinis,
Transcaucasla."
Such Is the address OF the telegram I
found on the 18th Of May when arrived
at Tihis.
This Is what the telegram said:
As the matters in hand win terminate
on the 10th instant. Claudius BOmbarnae
VIII repair to Uzun Ada. 4 port on the
east coast OF the Caspian. There he
viii take the train by the direct Grand
Transasiatic. between the European from
ter and ne capital OF the Celestial En-
pire. He win transmit his impressions
In the way of news. interviewing remark
able people on the road, and report the
most trivial incidents by letter or teie-
gram as necessity Dictates The Twsnti-
eth Century trusts 10 the seal. intelli-
gSnee, activity aud tact OF it's correspond
ent. who can draw on its bankers to any
extent he may deem necessary"
1t was the very morning had arrived
at Tihis, with the intention OF spending
three weeks there in a visit 70 the
Georgian provinces for the benefit Of my
newspaper. and also hoped for that OF
Its readers.
Here was the unexpected, indeed: the
uncertainty Of 4 special correspondents
life. I had hardly arrived before l was
Obliged to be Of again without unstrap- |
ping my portmanteau!
II was hard, but there was no way out |
Of L. And to begin with. az what O'Clock /
did the train for Tihis start FROM the /
Caspian? l went to the railway station /
at a run, and rushed into the departure
once.
when Is there a train for Bakur' 1
asked
''SiK o'clock tonight"
And when does Il get thersT'
Seven o'clock in the morning."
Is that In time to catch the boat for
UEun AdaY'
The man at the trap door replied to
my salute by a salute OF mechanical pre-
eision. The question Of passport did not
trouble me. The French consul would
know how to give me all the references
required BY the Russian administration.
At O'Clock. having secured my pass
port, hurry to the railway station.
There there Is a crowd OF ArTnenians.
GeOrgians, Mingrelians. Tartars, KuryiS,
1sraelites, Russians, from the shores OF
the Caspian, some taking their tickets
direct for Baku, some for intermediate
stations
take 4 ticket for Baku. hrst class. I
50 down on the platform 70 the carriages. |
According to my custom. l install myself ,
in q comfortable corner. A few travel ,
erS follow me- while the cosmopolitan ,
pOpulaes invade the second and third
class carriages The doors are shut az 4
ter the visit Of the 6cket Inspector. A ,
last scream OF the whistle announces that !
the train Is about to start. Suddenly !
there is a Shout shout In which anger !
Is mingled with despair-and I catch :
these words in German: >
stop! StOpF'
put down the window and look out.
A fat man bag in hand. travelling cap on :
head. his legs embarrassed In the skirts
Of huge ovsrcoat. short and breathlesa.
He Is late. The pOrters Try TO stop him
Try to stop a bomb In the middle Of its n
Trajectory! Once again has right to give Il
place to might
The Teuton bomb describes a weil-caL
eulated curve, and has Just fallen into the
compartment next 10 ours, through the
door a traveller had obligingly left open.
The train begins to move at the same In :
slant. the engine wheels begin to slip on y
the rails, then the speed increases. We :
are of
1t is still daylight at 0 o'clock In the =
evening In this latitude. l have bought
q time table and l consult II. Then
began TO examine my travelling compan- 81
Ions There were four Of us. and need
scarcely say that We occupied the four
corners OF the compartment had taken
the furthest corner, facing the engine
At the two opposite angles two traveller In
we're seated facing each other As soon Ia
as they got In they pulled their caps q
down on their eyes and wrapped them 81
selves up In their cloakz-evidentIy tbev Re
we're Georgtans. as far as I could see. u
In front OF me was quite a different al
type' with nothing Of the oriental about az
u thIrty-twe 70 thiFty-fYe years old fac. IN
win a ReddIsh beard. very much alive In 20
'ook, nose Ike that Of a dog standing a, "a
point, mouth only too glad to tslk ban5s
Tree and easy, ready for a shsk. uI,b be
anybody; a tall, vigorous. broad-zb.,,l- loi
iered, powerful man By the way N eq
Hnlcn he settled himself and put do~p sh
as bag. and unrolled his travelling ruy ar
u onght-hued tartan. I had recognized nj
.ne Ahslo-Saxon traveller more accus a
-Dihed 70 long journeys by land and sea We
han to the comforts Of his home II he of
taG a nome he looked like a CONNER
'iAl traveller. l noticed that hiH iavvsIyv wa
vas In profusion: rings on his fingers III,
n his scarf, studs on his cuffs win ~
ographic views in them, SNOWY tr;,ka,,
hanging from the watch chain scroas NJ
vast coat | should not have been .n-.
'rised II he turned out to be an Ar,.,i. 10
an.
II am not mistaken, be will he t,., ser
- gao 10 speak 10 me as am To sna.L VII
o him-and reciprocity. l viii sss M. ca,
fear restraints me. Suppose this An,
can should also be a special Correspond. me
Mt. and suppose he has also bean -. moi
erred TO do this Grand AsIstIc tn,
Tould be most annoying! He would he :
wall W 1,
CHAPTER II.
At last was about 10 open nv month
hen my companion prevented me. Mr.
You are a Frenchmanr' he said q,