Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-04-25

/ hitsluiC vi tAc lStIS6ul, Was fUSCOultuS
most uncomfortable, and the fear
arose that 1t might, when the forests
should be blazing on both sides Of the
i river, grow so great as to be unen.
i durable. A flaming ember, passing
high overhead, revealed the manner
in which the flames were being car
ried across to the Chinese side. A hill
there caught fire In dozen places,
that appeared, on such large can
vas, like little red patches, which
burned in isolation for a while, but
We're soon wiped out in one contin,l-
GUS sheet of flame.
| The sound of falling trees could be
/ plainly heard.
1 At noon the smoke was fleece and
the sun was like a moon, a chrome
orange moon-impo ssible-pasted on
1 a leaden, fuliginous sky. ss
The fires spread on the Manchuriafi
side with amazing rapidly: they be-
came a general conflagration.
BY mid-afternoon the heat on the
Pushkin was almost intolerable ami
the discomfort caused to the eyes
4 from the smarting smoke was great,
/ yet there was no longer any fear that
those on board would suffocate or
perish from the intensity of the heat.
Matters were undoubtedly at their
worst, and 1t was possible to live, to
breathe. Out there in the middle q
I the river there was no danger of the
boat itself catching on fire, and the
wind, which was coming straight
down the stream. brought GOODNESS
and life with it from the wide Siber-
ian plains.
And now wonderful thing happen
ed: vast cloud of butterflies of end
less variety floated, drifted, fitted
and flutered by in the wan haze.
4 Butterflies big and little, and of all
imaginable graceful shapes were
there: tiny yellow butterflies and
giant yellow ones, butterflies black
or purple as velvet, butterflies striped
like the tiger. rayed like brilliant fans,
eyed like Argus, or spotted like
otcelots. For an hour they drifted.
floated and fitted by, as though all
the endless varieties of flowers in
Siberia and Manchuria were perishing
in the fire and their souls were talk.
ing flight. \,
The sun was at last either entirely
obscured, or else looked sadly and
, dimly down on the scene, a terra
. Gotta disk, flat and thin And while
the butterflies were going by, the
patterfng of many feet was heard in
the shallow water, and a pack OF
wolves, the color of the smoke. EN-.
erged from the gray haze and trotted
past the Pushkin, their backs arched
their bushy tails between their legs
Some did not even so much as glance
|, at the boat, but others, with curving
bodies and red eyes, looked up at
, her but did not stop in their course
When they came to deep water, they
launched themselves fearlessly on ii
3 and swan, light as corks. Those on
the Pushkin knew when night had
come by the growing vividness Of the
fires. Whole acres Of red devasta
ton cleaned through the haze, while
the giant pine torches, that flared UP
here and there, could be seen at
great distances.
As Hardy stood watching the
scene. that night, the Princess came
= up to him and said u s. "a
I'VE have nothing to fear from the
Chinese, fancy. They must have
q gone away They must think we are
II dead"
ut is most probable replied Hardy
"but fear that it viii be some time
before we shall be able to take to the
road
AT the military station below. !,
said the Princess, there is a tele
) graph, connecting with the one above
1t is possible for a boat Of shallow
draft to get down the river to a little
distance back. The general asked
the ---o- if one Of their number would
not volunteer to carry a despatch to
the station, but am ashamed to saw
that no one has responded. They arc
deferred by the dreadful fate of poor
Stcnka."
i will go" cried Hardy. "Ask the
general to let me go. can keep to
the middle of the stream till / have
passed the fires, either wading 81
! swimming down the swift current
me Tires can not extend more than
mile or SO down the river, dis
lance soon passed over, and then !
Will take to the highway am a
foreigner and, If captured, shall not
be In so great danger as a Russian
It is not difficult undertaking. ]
am sure shall get through"
But 1t is not right, that you should
DO this for u.s." she objected, you
IAe Only foreigner on board. My
cousin would go. but he can not walk
He is raging like sick lion because
he can not go. and even insists that
he is able. l had hoped that the cap
tain would volunteer, but he does not
He will be disgraced, and his com
mand taken away from him. If need
i be, the general will attempt it, but he
!. is old and can not swim. He could
hardly get through
Il swim like a fish, insisted the
American, "and can get through.
know | can. There is no danger, real
~ there isn't. The Manchurians have
, probably retreated inland, and, at any
| rate. could slip through them in the
dark. When Stenka went, the river
was full Of them right in his course
His enthusiasm was boyish. Tho
. Princess smiled.
"A brave man. she said, "can not
), see danger, even when it exists"
/ II shall go. anyway, declared Har
dy. will you please ask the general
{ to prepare despatch for me, immad
Il lately? IF he does mt consant shat