The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-06-03

'There It Is all right" said enc Of the
porters. looking to see that the case was
| as it should be, top where top should
be, and so on.
'There is no fear Of its moving" said
another porter; ''the glass will reach Pc
kin all right, unless the train runs on
the metals"
The American came up to me and took
last look at his stock of incisors. mo-
lars and CANNES.
| "You know, Monsieur Bombarnac,
he said to me, ''that the passengers are
going to dine at the Hotel du Gar be-
| fore the departure Of the train. 1t is
time now. Will you come with meY'
| II follow you"
| The dinner ends ten minutes before
the time fixed for our departure. The
bell rings and we all make a move for
the train, the engine of which is blowing
off steam.
| The Baron Observation-Disclosures is not
behind hand this time. On the contrary.
| it is the train this time which is five
minutes late in starting; and the German
has begun to complain. to chafe and to
threaten to sue the company for dam
| ages. Ten thousand roubles-not a
| penny less!-if it causes him to fail.
Fail in what, considering that he is go
| ing to Pekin?
At length the last shrek Of the whis-
| tie cleaves the air; the cars begin to
| move, and a loud cheer salutes the de-
parture of the Grand Transasiatic ex-
press.
For fifteen years our guard had been
| in the Transcaspian service. He knows
| the country up to the Chinese frontier,
and five or six times already he has been
| over the whole line known as the Grand
| Transasiatic.
I asked him if he knew anything of
our fellow travellers. l meant those who
were going through to China, and in the
first place Of Major Noltitz.
"The major" said Popof, "has lived
| long time in the Turkestan provinces,
and he is going to Pekin to organize the
staff of a hospital for our compatriots,
| with the permission Of the Gar, of
I course"
II like this Major Noltitz," I said,
"and l hope to make his acquaintance
very soon. And these two Chinese, do
you know themY
'Not in the least. Monsieur Bombar-
| nae; all know is the name on the lug
gage"
"What is thaty'
'The younger mans name is Pan
Chao, the elders is Tio-King. Probably
they have been travelling in Europe for
some years. As to saying where they
come from, I cannot. I imagine that
Pan-Chao belongs to some rich family,
for he is accompanied by his doctor"
"And the two French people, that co,l-
| pie so affectionate," 1 asked. "Who
are they?"
"Stage people who are going to the.
| alter in Shanghai, where they have an en-
gagement at the French theater."
That is capital. I will talk about the
theater, and behind the scenes, and such
| matters, and l shall soon make the &C.
| qauintance of the CHEEKY comedian and
| his charming wife.
| AS to a certain scornful gentleman
aboard, our guide knew nothing beyond
| that his luggage bore the address in full:
Sir Francis Trevellyan, Trevellyan Hall,
Trevellyanshire.
"a gentleman who does not answer
when he is spoken to-" added Popof.
Nov we get to the German SAIL I.
Baron Observation-Disclosures
| "He is on a trip round the world"
"a trip round the world?"
"In thirty-nine days."
And so after Mrs. Bisland. who did
the famous tour in seventy-three days,
and Citizen George Francis Train, who
did it in seventy, this German was at
tempting to do it in thirty-nine?
"He will never do it," exclaimed.
"Why not?' asked Popof.
Because he is always late"
Ito bs continued.l