Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1905-08-18
CHAPTER xxi


In 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, Ghangir and the four Mon
gols were the first to jump off the cars.
They are out on the line, kandijar in one
hand, revolver in the other. No doubt
an attack has been organized to pillage
the train.
The rails have been taken up for about
hundred yards, and the engine, after
humping over the sleepers, has come to
standstill in a sand hill.
what! The railroad not finished
and they sold me a through ticket from
Tiflis to Pekin! And l came by this
Transasiatic to save nine days in my
trip round the worldp' shouted the voice
of the iraseible baron.
''The baron is mistaken" said POpof,
"the railway is completed, and if hum
bred yards of rails have been lifted here,
1t has been with some criminal inten-s
ton"
ITO stop the trainw exclaim.
"And steal the treasure they are send
ing to Pekinw says Caterna.
''There is no doubt of that" says
Popof "Be ready to repulse an attack"
at is Ki-Tsang and his gang that we
have to do withT' 1 ask.
Ki-Tsangi The name spread among
the passengers and caused inexpressible
terror.
The major said to me in low voice,
why Ki-Tsang? Why not my lord
n 81 mr.
"He-the manager of the Transasi-
aticT'
eff it is true that the company had to
take several of these robber chiefs into
its confidence to assure the safety of the
trains"
II will never believe that, major"
Gas you please Monsieur Bombarnae.
But assuredly Faruskiar knew that this
pretended mOrtuary van contained mill
lens"
"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
number and the rest of the passengers,
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 hun
bred yards away, stretches a deep,
gloomy thicket, a sort of jungle, in which
doubtless are hidden the robbers, await
ing the signal to pounce 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 unjustly suspected? / look 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, and 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 covered 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 hourishing about
The actor has given place to the old sail