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

compare favorably with those Of any
country in the world, and now I know
it. Pray do me the honor to sit here
and talk with me a while. We will
change the subject, if you desire. How
do you like our Russian"
Hardy talked with her for IN hour
or so. She spoke slowly and distinctly
for him, and he found, under such de-
lightful auspices, his French was a
much more practical and useful &C.
quirement than he had thought. They
talked of the increasing activity of the
Chinese marauders, of the possibility
of war with Japan, of the wild flowers
of Siberia, of Russian and American
society. He found her intensely patri.
otto, and firm in the belief that Rus.
STA could crush Japan in a month,
should hostilities actually break out
AS they were thus engaged in con.
v~ersation the general approached, and
bowling before the princess, proposed
zakouska to Hardy.
"Ah, monsieur" she laughed, "do
you know the great Russian institu
ton of zakouska?"
EYES," he replied, cit was about the
first Russian word I learned, and
have heard it more frequently thar
any other since"
"Then," she said, rising and taking
the generals arm, 1--WE will have "a
kouska in my cabin. Will you do VI
the honor of joining us?"
Certainly" replied Hardy, will
alacrity. 81 find it a most delightful
custom!"
And all day long they steamed VI
the winding and yellow Amur through
virgin solitudes of rolling prairie
through interminable stretches o
primeval forest, with medieval Rus
STA on the right and ancient, prehis
toric China on the left.
The grinding and Earring Of the lit
tie steamer on the sand was o
matter of hourly occurrence. DC
c~asionally a large river boat would b,
passed, high-foundered and dry, eithe.
deserted or occupied by a few pas
sengers, patiently waiting for the wa
ter to rise. Many rowboats driftet
by, laden with more fortunate people
going with the swift current rattle
than against 1t. To these the captain
shouted continually:
"How is the water in the Shilka?
And ever came the same reply:
Failing, slowly falling"
At midnight they ran upon a sand
bank and had such difficulty gettinI
off that Hardy thought they wer'
stuck for good. 1t was necessary t
wake up the passengers, with the e1
ception of her highness, the princess
and drive them all over to one side G
the boat to list her. After an hour Q
most exciting work, during which tn
captain dashed forward and back o
the bridge, gesticulating with his er
tire body and shouting like a mad
man, they got off and were under wa
again, only to make another hour
stop for wood. This time, as before
a bewhiskered muzhik was sitting o
the bank by a flaring fire, He coul
be seer very distinctly from a grea
distance, and as the steamer al
preached the officer in comman
shouted at him again and again. Tn
soundness with which he vas sleel
ing, with head upon breast and arm
folded upon knees, gave rise to col
siderable amusement among such {
the passengers as yer awake. TIL
plank was laid and several Of the Gre
ran up to him. One Of them pushe
him and he sprawled over.
Hes dead!' announced the sailo
"Dead?"
Eyes, sir; transfixed by an arrow
He put his foot upon the man
breast and, selling something, pulle'
A moment later he held up In I'll
light Of the bonfire a Chinese war a
row then, throwing " TO the cart
M Ngd6N AAMYW WV