Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1905-08-04
CHAPTBR Nv

What was not done at the frontier has
to be done at Kachgar. Russians and
Chinese are one as bad as the other
when there are vexing forma1ities, papers
to verify, passports to sign, etc. 1t is
the same sort of meddling, minute and
overfastidious, and we must put up with
it. We must not forget the terrible
threat of the formula the functionary of
the Celestial Empire afixes to his acts
-'Tremble and obeyv / am disposed
to obey, and / am prepared to appear
before the authorities of the frontier. /
remember the fears of Kinko, and it is
with regard to him that the trembling is
to be done, If the examination of the
travellers extends to their packages and
luggage.
It is 10 o'clock when a stroke Of the
gong announces that the police formali-
ties are about to begin. We leave the
table and a few minutes afterwnrd are in
the waiting room
AN my numbers are present, with the
exception, Of course, of Kinko, who
would have done honor to our breakfast
If it had been possible for him to take
part in it. There was Doctor TIC King,
his "Cornaro" under his arm; Fulk Eph-
rinell and Miss Horotia Bluett, mingling
their teeah and hair, fguratively, be it
understood; Sir Francis Trevellyan, mo-
tionless and silent, intractable and stiff
smoking his cigar on the threshold; Faru-
skair, accompanied by Ghangir; Russian
Turkoman, Chinese travelers-in all
from sixty to eighty persons. Every one
had in his turn to present himself at the
table, which was occupied by two Celes-
tials in uniform, a functionary speaking
Russian huently, an interpreter for Ger
man, French and English.
The Chinese was a man about 80, with
a bald head, thick mustache a long
pigtail, and spectacles on his nose. Wrap
ped In a fowery robe, fat as II he be-
loDged to the most distinguished people
in the country, he had not progresses
ing face. After all, it was only verif-
cation Of our papers, and as ours were
in order, it did not much matter how re-
pulsive he looked
''What an air he has" murmured
Madame Caterna.
1.-THE air of Chinaman," said her
husband "and. frankly, do not like it,"
l am one of the first to present my
passport, which bears the visas of the
consul at Tiflis and the Russian authori-
ties at Uzun Ada. The functionary looks
at 1t attentively. When you are dealing
with mandarin, you should always be
on the lookout. Nevertheless, the exam
nation raises no difhculty, and the seal
of the green dragon declares me all in
order.
The same result with regard to the
actor and actress. Nevertheless, Il was
worth while looking at Caterna while
his papers were being examined. He
assumed the attitude of a criminal en-
deavoring to mollify a magistrate, he
made the sheepiest Of eyes, and smiles
absolutely the most deprecating smilea
and seemed to implOre a grace or rather
a favor, and yet the most obdurate Of
the Cinnamon had not a word to say to |
Inn.
Correct" said the interpreter.
'sThank you, my prince" replied Ca
terna, with the accent Of Paris street
boy.
As to Ephrinell and Miss Bluett, thew
went through like a posted letter. If an |
American commercial and an English
ditto were not ID order, who would be
Uncle Sam and John Bull are one as far
as that goes.