Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1905-07-21
CHAPTER XII

The train is running at high speed. In
the ordinary service, when it stops at the
eleven stations between Bokhara and
Samarkand, 1t takes a whole day over
the distance. This time 1t took but three
hours to cover the two hundred kilo-
meters which separate the two towns,
and at 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 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. leave this
discussion to the exegetists of the pro-
fession. After q stop Of six hours our
train started off again at o'clock.
During dinner / noticed that Major
Noltitz continued to keep his eye on his
lOrdship Faruskair Had he begun to
suspect him7 Was it Of any Importance
in his opinion that this Mongol seemed
to know, without appearing to do so, 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 joke on my part?
AS for me- I had soon forgotten all
about the Mongol for the man in the
case. If / get a chance to visit him
tonight will.
1t was about half past eleven when /
decided to open the door of the van,
which shut behind me.
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. II should not be surprised by
too sudden an apparition. He is doubt
less asleep. viii give two little knocks
on the panel; / will awake him, and we
will explain matters before he can move.
/ feel as 1 so. MY hand touches the
case; place my ear against the panel
and / listen. There is not a stir, not a
BREATH Is my man not here? Has he
got away2 Has he slipped out at one
OF the stations without my seeing him
| am just going to knock, when the
locomotives whistle emits its strident
crow as we pass through a station. But
the train is not going to stop, know,
and wait until the whistling has ceased.
l then give a gentle knock on the
panel. There Is no reply. / knock more
loudly.
This time 1t is followed by an invol-
untary movement of surprise and fright.
open, openP' say in Russian. ut
is a friend who speaks You have moth
ing to fearP'
If the panel is not lowered as 1 had
hoped, there Is the crack Of a match be-
ing lighted and 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, I say; open and
have confidence. l have discovered your
secret. shall say nothing about it. On
the other hand, may be Of use to you.
You are a Roumanian, think, and am
a Frenchman."
'FFenchman7 You are Frenchman9' r.
And this reply was given in my own
language, with a foreign accent. One
more bond between us. The panel slips
along It's groove, and BY the light Of a
little lamp can examine my No. IL.
''NO one can see us nor hear us3" he
asked in a half-stined voice.
''No one"
''The guardP'
asleep"
Ny new friend takes my hands; he
clasps them. 1 feel that he seeks a
support. He understands he can depend
on me, and he murmurs:
''DO not betray me-dO not betray
ma"