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

hundred miles from Uzan Ada. We have
seven hours to stop at Merv, and in
company with Major Noltitz I "do" the
town. On our return to the station
Popof runs up to me, saying:
II know the name"
"And it isT'
"Yen Lou, the great mandarin Yen
Lou of Pekin."
"Thank you, Popof." ~
rush to the telegraph Office, and from
there I send a telegram to the Twenti-
eth Century.
"Merv, 18th May, Z p. m.
'Train. Grand Transasiatic, just leav-
ing Merv. Took from Douchak the body
of the great mandarin Yen Lou coming
from Persia to Pekin."
It cost good deal, did this telegram,
but you will admit it was well worth its
price. The name of Yen Lou was imme-
diately communicated to our fellow trav-
elers, and it seemed to me that my lord
Faruskiar smiled when he heard it.
We left the station at eight o'clock
precisely. Forty minutes afterward we
passed near old Merv and the night be-
ing dark, could see nothing of it.
Our train is running northeast. The
stations are twenty or thirty miles
apart. We cross the desert, the real
desert, without thread Of water, where
artesian wells have to be sunk to supply
the reservoirs along the line. Gradually
my companions go to sleep, and our car
riage Is transformed into sleeping car.
The train enters Tchardjoui Station to
the minute Our stop here ought to last
a quarter of an hour. A few travellers
alight, for they have booked to this town,
which contains about thirty thousand in
habitants Others get In to proceed to
Bokhara and Samarkand, but these are
only second-class passengers. This pro-
duces a certain amount of hustle on the
platform.
I also get out and take a walk up
and down by the side Of the front van
and I notice the door silently open and
shut. A man creeps out on to the plat
form and slips away through the station
which is dimly lighted by a few petro
leum lamps.
1t Is my Roumanian. 1t can be ne
one else. He has not been seen, and
there he is, lost among the other trav
elers. Why this escape? Is it to renew
his provisions at the refreshment bar
On the contrary, is it not his intention
as I am afraid it is, to get away from
us?
Shall stop him? will make myself
known to him; promise to help him. Be
hold me then following him without ap
pearing to do so. Amid all this hurryinl
to and fro he is in little danger of beinl
noticed. Neither Popof nor any of tn,
company's servants would suspect him t,
be a swindler. Is he going toward tn
gate to escape me?
No! He only wants to stretch his leg
better than he can do In the van. Afte
an imprisonment which has lasted sine
he left Baku-that is to say, about sixt
hours-he has earned ten minutes o
freedom.
He is man of middle height, 1.-THE i
his movements, and with gliding kin
of walk. He could roll himself up lik
cat and find quite room enough in hi
case. He wears an old vest, his trous
ers are held up by belt and his ca
is a fur one-all of dark color.
/ am at ease regarding his intentions
He returns toward the van, mounts th
platform and shuts the door gently b.
hind him. As soon as the train is on th
move I will knock at the panel, and thi
time
More of the unexpected. Instead {
waiting at Tchardjoui one quarter of a
hour, we have to wait three. A sligf
injury to one of the brakes of the eI
gine has had to be repaired, and, no
withstanding the German baron's remoI
strances, we do not leave the station b.
fore half past three, as the day is b.
ginning to dawn.
At 5so'clock in the morning the trai
stops at the capital of the Khanate {
Bokhara, 1,107 miles from Ubun Ad
Bokhara, the capital of Khanate, is tt
Rome of Islam, the Noble City, the Cit
of Temples, the reyered center of tt
Mohammedan religion.
Major Noltitz advised me to visit IL
town in which he had lived sever
times. He could not accompany me, ha'
ing several visits to pay. We were
start again at II o'clock in the mornin
Five hours only to wait, and the tow
some distance from the railway static
In four hours I have seen most of tt
notable things in Bokhara, and at TO-:
/ alighted at the railway station. 81
at glance that all my numbers are
the platform, including my German ba
on. In the rear of the train the Pc
SLAMS are keeping faithful guard arouI
the mandarin Yen Lou. 1t seems tn
three of our travelling companions a
observing them with persistent curiosit
Lue5e dfG lie SUSPICIOUS lOohluS MO
gols we picked up at Douchak. As
pass near them I fancy that Faruski
makes signal to them, which 1 do n
understand. Does he know them? An
how, this circumstance rather puzzl
me.
The train is no sooner off than Il
passengers go to the dining car. II
places next to mine and the major
which had been occupied since the stal
are now vacant. and the young Chin
man, followed by DR.. Tio-King, take a
vantage of It to come near us. Pa
Chao knows am on the staff of t
Twentieth Century, and he is apparent
as desirous Of talking to me as am
talking to him.
l am not mistaken. He is true P
risian of the Boulevard. in the cloth
of Celestial. He has spent three yea
In the world where people amuse the
selves, and also In the world where tn
learn. The only son Of rich mercha