Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-01-20

Ah6.
To Hardy's CONSERVATION the prin-
cess and her maid followed in a Sec
ond dugout. But there were two more
waiting on the bank, their owners
hoping that others of the passengers
would wish to avail themselves of
their use.
"Come on" cried Hardy to Smul-
ders. Lets follow them. 1t will be
a lark"
"A lark? What's that?"
"a lark? Why, fun, sport"
But Smulders sighed and shook his
head, thinking of the fair Viennese.
"Ah, no" he said, Il do not care If it
be an eagle. | cannot leave Chulia.
| loaf her too heavy"
Hardy lost no time. BY signs he
conveyed to one of the sailors that he
wished his luggage carried ashore and
piled into the dugout. Soon he, too,
was seated in the bottom, reclining
gracefully against his impedimenta, his
horse scrambling along in the wake of
the princess lotka.
They made but one military station
the first day-a large square building,
where a samovar is kept always ready
for travellers and the sledges that car
ry the mails over the ice in winter.
To Hardy's delight, the old general
and the princess were extremely o
teous. to him and made him under
stand by signs that he was welcome.
The generals orderly foraged and pro-
duced some black bread, some milk
and a quantity Of delicious fresh
caviar of the kind the Russians do not
export.
The princess presided charmingly
at the samovar, after which she disap-
peared for the night. Hardy spread
his blankets on the floor and was 500
! fast asleep. But he seemed no one
to have closed his eyes than he was
awakened again by the voice of the
general shouting at him in Russian.
1t was only three o'clock, but the
place was all a-bustle with prepare
lions for departure. Ere the mists
had risen from the river they were
again under way, dim as ghosts.
Hardy reclined against his luggage
and slept deliciously until the sun
arose, when he was awakened by the
singing of a cloud of gnats. Sitting
upright, he noticed that the lotka of
the princess was deserted by its fair
passenger. Casting his eyes about, he
observed maid and mistress strolling
along the government road that fol-
lows the course of the Shilka and that
serves as a channel for the stream of
Cossacks that pours into Manchuria.
The bank was high at this point and
the women were above him, plainly
visible in the bright sun. The Ro.
manovna, twirling her Japanese para
sol on her shoulder, walked rapidly
and with a joyous freedom of motion
that testified to her love of the open
air.
Il wonder il she plays golf," unused
Hardy, and at that very moment he
perceived that he, too, was cramped
sitting there in the boat. He got out
accordingly, and struck vigorously
across a wide stretch Of sand de
posted during high water. He was
some Is minutes climbing the steel
bank, and when he at last reached the
road. the princess was nowhere to be
seen. Indeed, the road at this point
turned sharply away from the rivel
and disappeared around the foot OF {
hill. Hardy knew, however, that !
must wind back to the river, and he
therefore followed the wide dusty trai
confidently, although it seemed tt
plunge into the heart of the wilder
ness. Once or twice he asked him
self why he was walking so rapidly
and each time made answer: "Why
!, to keep up with my lotka, Of course.
!, He was toothorough a gentleman to ad
nit to himself that he was pursuing tn
princess; he would not have done sucl
a thing on Beacon street; why SHOULD
he do it on a government road in 81
IBERIA? At any rate, it would be al
, indiscreet thing to do, as she woul'
: be sure to crush him for his presumr
) ton. But he certainly had just a
good a right to get out and walk a
she. AS he was ~soliloquizing thus an,
| had about come to the conclusion tina
| he was in a fair way at last of making
: an ass Of himself, he thought he hear
a shrill scream in the distance. Listen
+ ing, with his heart in his mouth, b
was sure, for the first cry was fol
: lowed by others-wild, %despairini
shrieks. as of a woman in the mos
ex%cruciating fear.
! Coming! coming!" shouted Hardy
$ and, feeling in his pocket for the ger
. erals American pistol, which, than
+ God! was there, he ran as he neve
!, ran before. Rounding a little turn !
e the road and a clump of trees, h
/ came suddenly on a sight that thrille
him with rage and sickened him wit
fear, not for himself, but for the prir
cess. There she was, struggling
the arms of a big Chinese, n of tina
h~alf-savage tribe that inhabits tn
Q wild regions Of Manchuria. The beas
8 nhu IIIeu HeI III LIS aImS anu wa
s running toward the woods with he
9 while another carried the maid. Tw
other Mongolians, with long wal bow
s in their hands, completed the strang
e picture. Hardy shouted again, an
the four Chinese wheeled abort an
a regarded him with startled malig nanc
that turned on the instant to anus
ment.
+ Those four great brutes beheld on
e rather small. dark man, of dapper al
Q pearance, despite his weeks rive
travel-a slender, dark man in a blu
y serge suit and negligee shirt, who m,
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