The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-06-23

with one Julius Smulders to take
long walk in the woods to gather VITA
flowers and to catch n sight or one
of the cuckoos. that ill the forests OF
Siberia with their strange cries, ex-
acty as though millions of invisible
Swiss clocks were hanging among the
trees. on their return, the two men
heard the sound of shooting
"My God!" cried the American, his
face blanchng as he thought OF the
princess, 81 believe the brgands have
attacked the boat
He ran toward the sound, followed
by Smulders, and beheld Gen. Catkou
shooting at n bottle on stump at
distance of 20 PAGES. The general wan
military governor of Irkutsk, now ON
his way to his post, from which ne
had been absent three months. He
was a gray, corpulent man. with
kindly face. the only person aboard
| of sufficient rank to associate inti~
mately with the princess, in whom he
seemed to take a fatherly interest. He
fred now FIVE times and missed, mucn
to the amusement of the princess. VINO
stood near. In fact, her derisive
laughter so irritated the pompous
general that he threw the weapon
spitefully on the ground and began to
explain volubly to his fair tormentor.
What does he say?" asked the Ger
man of Viennese opera singer from
Vladivostok. who was also one OF the
spectators; and moment later he
explained to Hardy
|
from Vladivostok, and that it's no
good
, CORTLAND Hardy picked up the
weapon and examined it. 1t was not
an expensive model, but practical
arm of honest blue steel. He tossed
1t Familiarity in his hand and then said
: to Smulders: "Will you ask our fair
. interpreter here to present my com
pliments to the general, and tell him
that [ am an American and beg the
- privilege of proving the excellence OK
this American weapon"
- AS the viennese addressed the gen
v eral. Hardy lifted his hat gracefully.
r. The princess clapped her little hands,
&c nodded pleasantly at the American
a. and cried Bravo! Bravo!" 1t was
,s she, evidently, who persuaded the gen
,t eral to reload the weapon and &C
cede to the request
n Now. as usual. there was grouI
IL of peasant women standing about. who
IA had come down to the boat from tht
n lord knows where, to sell milk. Hard!
M tossed so copecks on the ground, and
n picking up FIVE bottles, walked to I
n log near the stump, where he Sc
n them in u row. Then he returned t.
4 the group standing about the genera
n and commenced firing. The distanc
n was in reality not great nor the Tea
\ difficult for so good a shot. The eli
n feet, however, was spectacular, TO
n between the rapid Cracks" of tn
weapon could be heard the ching
II ching, ching" of the breaking bottles
Hardy offered the revolver to tn
II general with polite salute, but tn
latter generously complimented hi
Workmanship and begged that h
would keep 1t, adding to the gift tn
box of cartridges which he produce
from a coat pocket The America
Y was somewhat embarrassed. His prid
was averse to the acceptance of III
II Slll, yet Ut WAS uldDit w thPidih tht
1 he meant no offense. He stood offe
ing the pistol to the Russian, viii
the latter pressed the cartridges {
II him. The princess relieved the stu
/ ton by taking the cartridges al
/ \ handing them to Hardy with a b
seeching little moue. He accept'
II with a courtly bow. as graceful
II though he were saluting a cotilli'
II partner. The princess replied in XII
iii and walked away on the arm of {
4 general.
N The only other incident worth
II cording happened at night, after
u the passengers had retired. A par
II of holden marauders fired on the DO
W and one of the bullets passed throu
u Hardy's cabin window. That they we
~ Chinese was evident from war
. row. with it's iron point that "
, found sticking to the rail the nj
~ morning.
~ They are becoming very restles
Ia said Smulders, in his broken Engli
Y but they will hardly dare much
q do"-and he pointed to a long line
- dusty Cossacks that were trott
- along the military road that skirts
Amur. The river is well guard
- and if they make depredations,
y Cossacks take terrible vengeance.
am glad that they did not harm
-. Chulia."
Julia was the name of Vienn
% " singer on board, with whom Smuld
'rlue' was fast becoming infatuated.
hlai, A little way below Blagovestche
anu they passed the blackened ruins
eNVS Aigum, the once populous Chin
o'u city which the Cossacks had destro
not very long before.
10 on "They found the bodies Of 4
Win men, women and children in
was ruins" explained Smulders, and
et If the river they thousands have dri
p civ That scare the Chinese, but they
fuel not like it much
, and u should think said Hardy, "
steep they would be veXed at such Il
al, 10 ment to say the least"