Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-05-19
CHAPTER 1

Transcaucasia."
Such is the address of the telegram L
found on the 18th of May when l arrived
at Tilis.
This is what the telegram said:
Gas the matters in hand will terminate
on the 18th instant, Claudius Bombarnac
will repair to Uzun Ada, port on the
east coast of the Caspian. There he
win take the train by the direct Grand
Transasiatic, between the European fron-
tier and the capital of the Celestial EN-
pire. He will transmit his impressions
in the way of news, interviewing remark
able people on the road, and report the
most trivial incidents by letter or tele-
gram as necessity dictates. The Twenti-
eth Century trusts to the zeal, inteill-
gence, activity and tact of its correspond
ent, who can draw on its bankers to any
extent he may deem necessary.
1t was the very morning had arrived
at Tifiis, with the intention of spending
three weeks there in visit to the
Georgian provinces for the beneht OF my
newspaper, and also hoped for that OF
Its readers.
Here was the unexpected, indeed; the
uncertainty of a special correspondent s
life. 1 had hardly arrived before was
obliged to be off again without unstrap-
ping my portmanteau!
1t was hard, but there was no way out
of it. And to begin with, at what O'Clock
did the train for Tifis start from the
Caspian? l went to the railway station
at run. and rushed into the departure
Office.
'When is there a train for Baku" I
asked.
''Six o'clock tonight"
"And when does it get therey
"Seven o'clock in the morning."
els that in time to catch the boat for
Uzun AdaT'
The man at the trap door replied to
my salute by salute of mechanical pre-
cision. 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 5 o'clock, having secured my pass
port, 1 hurry to the railway station.
There there is a crowd of Armenians,
Georgians, Mingrelians, Tartars, kurds,
Israelites, Russians, from the shores of
the Caspian, some taking their tickets
direct for Baku, some for intermediate
stations.
I take ticket for Baku, first class. l
60 down on the platform to the carriages.
According to my custom, install myself
In a comfortable corner. A few travel
ers follow me, while the cosmopolitan
populace invade the second and third
class carriages. The doors are shut af-
ter the visit of the ticket inspector. A
last scream of the whistle announces that
the train is about to start. Suddenly
there is a shout-a shout in which anger
is mingled with despair-and l catch
these words III German;
"Stopl Stop!'
put down the window and look out
"A fat man, bag in hand, travelling cap or
head, his legs embarrassed in the skirts
of a huge overcoat, short and breathless
He is late. The porters try to stop him
Try to stop a bomb in the middle of it,
trajectory Once again has right to give
place to might.
The Teuton bomb describes a well-cal
culated curve, and has just fallen into tn,
compartment next to ours, through tn,
door a traveller had obligingly left open
The train begins to move at the same in
stant, the engine wheels begin to slip OF
the rails, then the speed increases. w,
are off.
evening in this latitude. I have bough
time table and 1 consult it. Then
began to examine my travelling compan
ions. There were four of US, and 1 neet
scarcely say that we occupied the fou
corners of the compartment. l had takel
the furthest corner, facing the engine
At the two opposite angles two traveller
were seated facing each other. As sool
in, 1aI %bo;u
down on their eyes and wrapped them
selves up in their cloaks-evidently the
were Georgians, as far as I could see
In front Of me was quite differen
type, with nothing of the oriental abou
1T; thirty-two to thirty-five years old, fac
with a reddish beard, very much alive i
look, nose like that of a dog standing q
point, mouth only too glad to talk, hand
free and easy, ready for shake wit
anybody; a tall, vigorous, broad-shou
dered, powerful man. By the way
which he settled himself and put dow
his bag. and unrolled his travelling ru
of bright-hued tartan, / had recognize
the Anglo-Saxon traveller, more accus
toned to long journeys by land and Sc
than to the comforts of his home, if h
had a home. He looked like a CONNER
was in profusion; rings on his fingers, ri
in his scarf, studs on his cuffs with pho
tographic views in them, snowy trinket
hanging from the watch chain across hi
waist coat. l should not have been sul
prised if he turned out to be an Amer
can.
If I am not mistaken, he will be ius
as glad to speak to me as am to spea
to him-and reciprocally. will see. Bu
a fear restraints me. Suppose this Anne
ican should also be a special correspond
ent. and suppose he has also been O.
dered to do this Grand Asiatic. This
would be most annoying! He would be
rival!
CHAPTER II.
At last was about to open my mout
when my companion prevented me.
you are a Frenchman?' he said
my native tongue.
''Yes, sir" / replied in his.
Evidently we could understand eac
other. The ice was broken, and the
question followed on question rather ra
jd1v hetUapn us