Gilpin observer., 1910-03-10


of the cuckoos, that fill 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 blanching as he thought of the
princess, Il believe the brigands have
attacked the boat"
He ran toward the sound, followed
by Smulders, and beheld Gen. Catkoff
shooting at bottle on a stump at a
distance of 20 PAGES. The general was
military governor of Irkutsk, now on
his way to his post, from which he
had been absent three months. He
was a gray, corpulent man, with .
kindly face, the only person aboard
of sufficient rank to associate init.
mately with the princess, in whom he
seemed to take a fatherly interest He
fired now five times and missed, much
to the amusement of the princess, who
stood near. In fact, her derisivs
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 a moment later he
explained to Hardy.
He says it's an American pistol
from Vladivostok, and that it's no
good"
Courtland Hardy picked up the
weapon and examined it. 1t was not
an expensive model, but a practical
arm of honest blue steel He tossed
it Familiarity in his hand and then said
to Smulders: will you ask our faiI
interpreter here to present my com,
pliments to the general, and tell him
that l am an American and beg the
privilege of proving the excellence Of
this American weapon?"
AS the Viennese addressed the gen
eral, Hardy lifted his hat gracefully.
The princess clapped her little hands,
nodded pleasantly at the American
| and cried: Bravo! Bravo,' 1t was
she, evidently, who persuaded the gen
eral to reload the weapon and 40
| cede to the request
| Now. as usual there was a grouy
of peasant women standing about, whs
had come down to the boat from the
| Lord knows where, to sell milk Hardy
| tossed so copecks on the ground, and,
picking up five bottles, walked to .
| log near the stump, where he set
| them in a row. Then he returned to
| the group standing about the general
| and commenced firing. The distance
| was in reality not great nor the feat
| difficult for so good a shot. The ef.
| feet, however, was spectacular, fov
| between the rapid Cracks of the
weapon could be heard the ching.
ching, ching" of the breaking bottles.
| Hardy offered the revolver to tho
general with polite salute, but the
| latter generously complimented his
craftsmanship and begged that he
| would keep it, adding to the gift the
box of cartridges which he produced
from coat pocket. The American
was somewhat embarrassed. His prido
was averse to the acceptance of the
| gift, yet he was unable to explain that
he meant no offense. He stood offer.
ing the pistol to the Russian, while
the latter pressed the cartridges on
| him. The princess relieved the situa.
tion by taking the cartridges and
handing them to Hardy with a Be.
| seeching little moue. He accepted
with courtly bow, as graceful ~
though he were saluting a cotillion
partner. The princess replied in kind
and walked away on the arm of the
general.
The only other incident worth 70.
cording happened at night, after all
the passengers had retired A party
Of hidden marauders fred on the boat.
and one of the bullets passed through
Hardy's cabin window. That they were
| Chinese was evident from a war-ar.
row, with it's iron point, that was
found sticking to the rail the next
| morning.
They are becoming very restless"
said Smulders, in his broken English.
but they will hardly dare much to
do"-and he pointed to long line ol
dusty Cossacks that were trottin4
along the military road that skirts the
Amur. The river is well guarded,
| and If they make depredations. the
Cossacks take terrible vengeance.
am glad that they did not harm my
| Chulia"
Julia was the name of Vienness
singer on board. with whom Smulders
was fast becoming infatuated.
A little way below Blagovestchensh
they passed the blackened ruins Of
Algum, the once populous Chinese
city which the Cossacks had destroyed
not very long before.
They found the bodies of 1000
men, women and children in the
ruins" explained Smulders. "and into
the river they thousands have driven