The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1905-06-10
CHAPTER

.,ondpnt Twentieth century, llHls,
Transcaucasia."
Such is the address Of the telegram l
.onnd on the 18th of May when arrived
at Tihis -, 80.
1As the matters in hand will terminate
Tho 18th instant, Claudius Bombarnac
UI,I repair to Uzun Ada, port on the
oaat coast of the Caspian. There he
r;ll take the train by the direct Grand
T,ronsasiatic, between the European from
Gov and the capital of the Celestial En-
nire He will transmit his impressions
II the Wav OF news, interviewing remark
oble people on the road, and report the
most trivial incidents by letter or tele-
cram as necessity dictates. The Twenti-
9th Century trusts to the ZEAL intelli-
osnce, activity and tact of it's correspond
ept who can draw ON its bankers 10 any
extent he may deem necessary"
It was the very morning had arrived
at Tihis, with the intention of spending
three weeks there in a visit to the
Georgian provinces for the benefit OF my
newspaper. and also l hoped for that of
Its readers
Here was the unexpected, indeed; the
uncertainty of a special correspondents
life | had hardly arrived before 1 was
obliged to be off again without unstrap-
ping my portmanteau!
II was hard, but there was no way out
Of It. And to begin with, at what O'Clock
did the train for Tifis start from the
Caspian? | went to the railway station
at a run, and rushed into the departure
office.
"When is there train for Baku2" /
asked.
"Six o'clock tonight"
"And when does it get thereT
"Seven o'clock in the morning"
as that in time to catch the boat for
Uzun AdaT
The man at the trap door replied to
nv salute by a salute of mechanical pre-
cision. The question Of passport did not
trouble me. The French consul would
know how to give me all the references
required by the Russian administration.
At 5 o'clock, having secured my pass
port, l hurry to the railway station.
There there is a crowd of Armenians'
Georgians, Mingrelians, Tartars, kurds,
Israeites, Russians, from the shores of
the Caspian, some taking their tickets
direct for Baku, some for intermediate
stations.
take a ticket for Baku, first class. l
70 down on the platform to the carriages.
According to my custom, install myself
In a comfortable corner. A few travel
ers follow me. while the cosmopolitan
populace invade the second and third
class carriages. The doors are shut az
ter the visit Of the ticket inspector. A
last scream of the whistle announces that
the train is about to start. Suddenly
there is shout-a shout in which anger
Is mingled with despair-and l catch
these words in German:
stop! Stop!
put down the window and look out.
A fat man, bag in hand, travelling cap on
head, his legs embarrassed in the skirts
Of huge overcoat, short and breathless.
He is late. The porters try to stop him.
Try to stop a bomb in the middle of Its
trajectory. Once again has right to give
place to might.
The Teuton bomb describes a well-cal-
culated curve, and has just fallen into the
compartment next to ours, through the
door traveller had obligingly left open.
The train begins to move at the same in
slant, the engine wheels begin to slip on
the rails, then the speed increases. We
are off,
1t is still daylight at o'clock In the
evening in this latitude. I have bought
time table and l consult it. Then l
began to examine my travelling eompan.
ions. There were four of us, and need
scarcely say that we occupied the four
corners of the compartment. had taken
ne turthest corner, facing the engine
Al the two opposite angles two travellers
were seated facing each other. AS soon
as they got in they pulled their caps
doWn on their eyes and wrapped them.
selves up in their cloaks-evidently they
were Georgans, as far as could see.
IN front Of me was quite a different
type, with nothing of the oriental about
1t! thlrty-two to thirty-five years old, face
WIN reddish beard, very much alive in
'ooA, nose like that Of a dog standing a,
polnt' mouth only too glad to talk, hands
Tree ana easy, ready for a shake with
anybody; a tall, vigorous, broad-shoul.
uereu' powerful man. By the way in
Wnlcn he settled himself and put down
MS Dag, and unrolled his travelling rug
" oFlsht-hucd tartan, l had recognized
ule Anglo-Saxon traveller, more accus.
Wineu to long journeys by land and sea
nah to the comforts of his home, if he
naG home. He looked like a CONNER.
elal traveller. l noticed that his jewelry
was IN profusion; rings on his fingers, pin
~ MS scarf, studs on his cuffs with pho,
ttosraphic views in them, snowy trinkets
hanging from the watch chain across his
WAIST coat. l should not have been sur,
pFlsed If he turned out to be, an Ameri.
II l am not mistaken, he will be lust
a. as elad to speak to me as l am to speak
10 hlm-and reciprocally. l will see, Bul
lear restraints me. Suppose this Amer,
AZ" mau should also be a special correspond,
g S and suppose he has also been or.
U UaII, TO do this Grand Asiatic. Thai
rival "'u1u NC
CHAPTER II.
AT last l was about to open my mouth