The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-06-17

Tsang Faruskiar knit his brows and his
eyes flashed Then, with a look at his
companion, he resumed his habitual in
difference to all that was being said
around him.
CHAPTER XII.
The train is running at high speed. In
| the ordinary service, when 1t stops at the
eleven stations between Bokhara and
Samarkand, it takes whole day over
the distance. This time it took but three
hours to cover the two hundred kilo'
meters which separate the two towns,
and at 2 o'clock in the afternoon it en-
tered the illustrious city of Tamerlane.
Samarkand is situated in the rich oasis
| watered by the Zarafchane in the valley
Of Sogd A small pamphlet 1 bought
| at the railway station informs me that
| this great city is one of the four sites
in which geographers "agree" to place
the terrestrial paradise. l leave this
discussion to the exegetists of the pro-
fession. After stop of six hours our
train started off again at o'clock.
During dinner I noticed that Major
Noltitz continued to keep his eye on his
| lordship Faruskair. Had he begun to
suspect him? Was it of any importance
in his opinion that this Mongol seemed
| to know, without appearing to do 80, the
three second-class travellers, who were
also Mongols? Was his imagination
working with the same activity as mine
And was he taking seriously what was
| only q joke on my part?
As for me, I had soon forgotten all
about the Mongol for the man in the
| case. If I get q chance to visit him
tonight I will.
1t was about half past eleven when l
decided to open the door of the van,
which shut behind me.
I knew that the young Roumanian was
not always shut up in his box, and the
fancy might just have taken him to
stretch his limbs by walking from one
end to the other of the van The dark
| ness is complete No jet of light filters
through the holes of the case That seems
all the better for me. 1t is as we'll that
my No. IL should not be surprised by
too sudden an apparition. He is doubt
less asleep. will give two little knocks
on the panel; will awake him, and we
will explain matters before he can move.
l feel as go. My hand touches the
case; 1 place my ear against the panel
| and 1 listen. There is + IT a stir, not a
| breath! Is my man no. here? Has he
got away? Has he slipped out at one
| OF the stations without my seeing him
l am just going to knock, when the
locomotives whistle emits it's strident
crow as we pass through station. But
the train is not going to stop, l know
and I wait until the whistling has ceased
I then give gentle knock on the
panel. There is no reply. I knock more
| loudly.
This time it is followed by an invol-
untary movement of surprise and fright
open, open!' I say in Russian. 1T
| is friend who speaks. You have moth
| ing to fearv
If the panel is not lowered as I had
| hoped, there is the crack of a match be-
| ing lighted and a feeble light appears in
| the case.
look at the prisoner through the
holes in the side. There is a look OF
alarm on his face; his eyes are haggard
He does not know whether he is asleep
or awake.
"Open, my friend, say; open and
| have confidence. I have discovered your
secret. shall say nothing about it. On
the other hand, may be Of use to you
! You are Roumanian, think, and l am
| a Frenchman."
| "Frenchman? You are a Frenchman? p
And this reply was given in my own
language, with a foreign accent. One
more bond between us. The panel slips
along its groove, and by the light of a
little lamp can examine my No. II.
| mo one can see us nor hear us?" he
asked in half-stifed voice.
| "No one"
'The guardT
| Asleep"
clasps them. I feel that he seeks q
support. He understands he can depend
on me. and he murmurs:
| do not betray me-do not betray
me-"
"Betray you, my boy? Can you. be
lpieve that I, journalist
| you are journalist? p
! fCfaudius BOmbarnac, special CORE
spondent Of the Twentieth Century"
l. "And you are going to Pekin?"
Through to Pekin."
"Ah! Monsieur Bombarnac. Providence
has sent you on to my road"
Anything can do for you will
What il your name?
"Kinko"
"You are Roumanian, are you not p
"Roumanian, Of Bucharest"
| "But you have lived in France!
1 -Four years In Paris, where I wal
apprentice to IN upholsterer in the Eau
bourg Saint Antoine"
And you went back to Bucharest r
Yes, to work It my trade there unit
the day came when it was impossibl,
for me to resist the desire to leave
ITO leave? Whyr
ITO marryw
ITO marry Mademoiseile Zinca Klork
Avenue Cha-Coua, Pekin, China"
i You know r
Certainly. The address u on til,
box"
| ~She issa young Roumanian. knew
her in Paris whers abe was learnin'