The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-09-25
Serious
ITeSpaSS
IorieinalI

I
the cznr.r
The words were spoken to Frank
| Huxford OF Chicago. globe trotter,
/ mountain climber. grain operator, cluD
man. horse jockey, anything, every
| thing that n versatile American Is ca
pabIe of taking up. though how he
managed TO crafty SO many tastes In
one lifetime no one could find out, He
had asked the way Of man who had
answered In the Russian tongue, but
HuxfOrd understood never a word so
he proceeded in the direction the man
pointed, trusting to luck to find his
way. He soon struck dense WOOD.
from which he emerged In the dehle
mentioned by the man OF whom he had
Incurred. On either side were cliffs,
and his climbing instinct led him to
attack an almost perpendicular ascent
ON his right. 1t looked plain enough
from below, but on the route he was
in the midst OF dense scrubby trees
and could neither see nor be seen by
any one.
He emerged at last on plateau,
where he stood wiping the perspiration
from his face and enjoying the view.
Presently he lowered his eyes, andtat
the foot of the cliff where section Of
the road was visible he saw n soldier
leaning Iazily on his gun On another
exposed section he saw several senti-
nels posted ut short distances from one
another.
walking inward from the edge Of
the cliff. he came TO finely finished
road and in another moment heard the
patter OF n pouy's feet on the hard
Surface. and Il phaeton containing
young wom;rn and two little gffls came
round 4 point Of rocks. The lady was
driving and, seeing HuX> ID. res
in the pony and asked L--- ''lne-
thing in Russian which lie dio .iot
understand. He took of his hat and
made u bow in true American fashion
and replied in English. for, his jaws
not having been fashioned in infancy
to utter bone cracking sounds, he had
not learned the Russian language. The
young woman burst into Il laugh and
said in English, with British accent:
II asked you whether you have seen
the Count Ehminoff go by here"
Il have seen no one go by here.
have Just climbed up from below.
The Iady's face grew grave. do you
mean" she said, that you have en-
tered here except by the gateway"
81 came from the road down there.
The lady paled. But how did you
pass the Guard?"
THAT accounts for n chain Of SOL
dfers saw below. didn't know
there was guard"
Great heavens! You are in the
car grounds How reckless my
countrymen are"
Pm not your countryman unless you
are an American"
"Americans are just as foolish rs
our Englishmen. Do you know that
you are in frightful positionF
..Oh, I've climbed the Matterhorn!
This is nothing. Do you suppose
can't get down where have come
up?"
in n hundred. You can't expect to win
that chance again"
II win apologize to his majesty for
trespassing."
will be arrested and treated as would
be assassin"
Both paused in the conversation, and
both did u great deal of thinking IN
very short space Of time, Mt the end OF
which the lady said:
Get in here quick"
The children were on the back seat
and EIuxford got up in front beside the
lady. he had scarcely done so when
there was IL CHATTER of horses hoois
coming, and gentleman on horse
back, followed by groom, met them
Both he and the lady drew rein.
s.Ah, count" she said in Russian, Il
feared we had lost you. The children
would have been greatly disappoint-
ed.''
~ would join you but I see you are
full" replied the count, looking inquir-
lngIy at Huxford.
i.This Is my cousin, Just from Eng
land, the Hon. Hubert Granger Then
in English she introduced Huxford tc
the count.
what further she said was in Rus
sian, and Huxford did not know what
It was till he saw the count dismornt
and by pnntomIme OFFER him his horse,
The lady told Huxford that she had
expressed his wish to visit the oppo-
site cIiffs, and the count had offered
his horse with HIS groom to point the
way, Huxford, having nllShted. made
mn American bow to the count,
French bow that he had learned In |
Paris to the lady and mounted the |
counts steed. Then, having made two
or three more bows Of different nation
alltIcs, he gulloped away.
At the gateway the guard scrutlnizcd
Hthe Hon. Mr.. Grnnger," but. seeing
Count tahmInoff's groom following him.
said nothing. Once we'll on his way, he |
wrote n pencil note on blank page OF |
letter to Ibis cousin" stating that he |
had received n summons to England |
and must go without n moments de-
lay. This he give to the groom md,
tiIsnounting, pointed to Livndih. Then.
putting the reins OF his horse In the
groom's hands, he walked away.