Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1905-07-22
CHAPTER X

And 1t isr
'Yen Lou. the great mandarin Yen
Lou of Pekin."
THANK you. Popof."
rush to the telegraph Office, and from
there l send telegram to the Twenti-
eth Century,
"Merv, 10th May. p. m.
''Traln. Grand Transasiatic. just leav-
ing Merv. Took from Douchak the body |
of the great mandarin Yen Lou coming
from Persia to Pekin."
1t cost good deal. did this telegram.
but you will admit it was well worth its
price. The name of Yen Lou was imme
diately communicated to our fellow trav-
elers, and 1t seemed to me that my lord
Faruskar smiled when he heard II.
We left the station at eight o'clock
precisely. Forty minutes afterward we
passed near old Merv, and the night be-
Ing dark, l could see nothing of it.
Our train is running northeast. The
stations are twenty or thirty miles
apart. We cross the desert, the real
desert, without thread of water, where
artesian wells have to be sunk to supply
the reservoirs along the line. Gradually
my companions go to sleep. and our car
riage is transformed into n sleeping car
The train enters Tchardjoui Station to
quarter of an hour. A few travellers
alight, for they have booked to this town,
which contains about thirty thousand in
habitants. Others get in 10 proceed to
Bokhara and Samarkand. but these are
only second-class passengers This pro-
duces a certain amount of hustle on the
platform.
l also get out and take a walk up
md down by the side of the front van,
and | notice the door silently open and
shut. man creeps out on to the plat
form and slips away through the station,
which Is dimly lighted by a few petro-
leum lamps.
1t is my Roumanian. 1t can be no
one else. He has not been seen, and
there he is, lost among the other trav-
elers. Why this escape? Is it to renew
his provisions at the refreshment bar?
On the contrary, is It not his intention,
as l am afraid it is, to get away from
us?
Shall stop him? l will make myself
known TO him; promise to help him. Be
hold me then following him without APP
pearlng to do so. Amid all this hurrying
TO and fro he is In little danger of being
noticed. Neither Popof nor any of the
company's servants would suspect him to
be swindler. Is he going toward the
gate to escape me2
No! He only wants to stretch his legs
better than he can do in the van. After
an Imprisonment which has lasted since
he left Baku-that is to say, about sixty
hours-he has earned ten minutes OF
freedom.
He is a man Of middle height, 1.-THE ii
his movements, and with a gliding kline
of walk. He could roll himself up like
cat and find quite room enough in his
case. He wears an old vest, his trous
ers are held up by belt and his cal
is fur one-all Of dark color.
l am at ease regarding his intentions
He returns toward the van, mounts thu
platform and shuts the door gently be
hind him. AS soon as the train is on thu
move | will knock at the panel, and Thu
time
More Of the unexpected. Instead o
waiting at Tchardjoui one quarter of al
hour, we have to wait three. A Sigh
injury to one of the brakes of the en-
CINE has had to be repaired, and, not
withstanding the German baron's remon
strances, we do not leave the station be
fore half past three, as the day is be
ginning to dawn.
At 3 o'clock in the morning the trail
stops at the capital of the Khanate o
Bokhara, 1,107 miles from Ubun Ada
Bokhara, the capital of Khanate, is tn
Rome of Islam, the Noble City, the Cit
of Temples, the revered center of tn
Mohammedan religion.
Major Notitz advised me to visit tn
town In which he had lived severa
times. He could not accompany me, hay
ing several visits to pay. We were t
Part again at IL o'clock in the morning
five hours only to wait, and the tow
some distance from the railway station
In four hours l have seen most of tn
notable things in Bokhara, and at 1913
alighted at the railway station. / sc
at a glance that all my numbers are o
the platform, including my German bal
on. In the rear of the train the PEI
SLAMS are keeping faithful guard aroun
the mandarin Yen Lou. 1t seems tha
three of our travelling companions al
observing them with persistent curiosity
these are the suspicious looking MOI
gols we picked up at Douchak. AS
pass near them l fancy that Faruskia
makes a signal to them, which / do n,
understand. Does he know them? An.
tH how. this circumstance rather puzzl,
ME.
The train Is no sooner off than Il
passengers go to the dining car. TT
places next to mine and the major
which had been occupied since the star
are now vacant. and the young Chin
man, followed by DIR. Tio-King, take a
vantage Of it to come near u.s. Pa
Chao knows l am on the staff of Il
Twentieth Century, and he is apparent
as DESTROYS of talking to ME as l am
talking to him.
| am not mistaken. He Is true z
e fba nd q, ha Iofb
of a Celestial He has spent three yea
in the world where people amuse thei
selves, and also In the world where tn
learn. The only son Of a rich mercha
In Pekin, he has travelled under the vii
of this Tic King, doctor Of some sol
who is really the most stupid Of b
boons, and Of whom his pupil makes
good denl Of fun.
The breakfast continued pleasant
Conversation turned on the work of [
Russians In Asia. Pan Chao seemed
me well posted up in their progress.
l need not say that during this ia
the Baron Observation-Disclosures was fu
occupied in clearing dish after dish.
the extreme amazement of Doctor II
King.
For the same reason. l suppose, 4
er FaruskiAr nor Ghangir took part
It, for they only exchanged few wor
In Chinese
But noticed rather a strange circu
-. III. 4 e.