The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1905-06-14
CHAPTER XXII.

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 differ
emit languages, amid general bewilder-
ment,
Faruskiar, Changer and the four Mon.
gols We're the first to jump off the cars.
They are ont on the line, kandijar ii one
hand, revolver in the other. No doubt
IN attack has been organized to pillage
the train.
The rails have been taken UP for about
a hundred yards, and the engine, after
humping over the sleepers, has come to
a standstill in a sand bill.
What. The railroad not finished
and they sold me n through ticket from
Tifis to Pekin. And | anne by this
Transasiatic to save nine days in my
trip round the world!' shouted the voice
Of the irascible baron.
''The baron is Mistaken said Popof,
'the railway is completed, and if a hun
.dred yards of rails have been lifted here,
it has been with some criminal inten-
ton
ITO 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"
1T is Ki-Tsang and his gang that we
have to do with?" / ask.
Ki-Tsang! The name spread among
the passengers and caused inexpressible
terror.
The major said to me in n low voice,
why Ki-Tsang? Why not my lord
Faruskiary'
'He-the manager of the Transasi-
aticY'
If it is true that the company had to
take several of these robber chiefs into
it's confidence to assure the safety of the
trains
II will never believe that, IN jor."
AS you please, Monsieur Bombarnac.
But assuredly Faruskiar knew that this
pretended mortuary van contained mill
iCns.'
Come, major, this is no time for jok-
ing"
No, it was the time for defending, and
defending ones self courageously. The
Chinese officer has placed his men around
the treasure van. They are twenty in
EAtiiiBbIs Illu #Ahf mo- ~ tttNH I'.tSNN-A.tAE
not 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 hum
dred yards away, stretches a deep.
gloomy thicket. a sort of jungle. in which
doubtless are hidden the robbers. await
ing the signal to pounc 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 u~njustly suspected? l lock 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, INC 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 cosercd 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 assailants. Ca
terna is in front of us, his mouth open.
his white teeth ready to bite, his eyes
blinking, his revolver fourishing about.
The actor has given place to the old sail