The Columbia register., July 28, 1905, Image 2

Special
CHAPTER XXVI. (Continual.)
1 will fo hack to Popof. Irupwwible,
I seen to be nailed to the floor of the
van. My bra J swim.
It U true w are running toward the
ahys? No; 1 am mad. Faruskiar aud
his accomplice would be hurled over
aa well. They would share our fata.
They would perish with ua.
But there are shout la front of the
train. Tha ecreania of people being kill
ad. There la no doubt now. Tha driver
and tha stoker ara being strangled. I
feel tha speed of tha train begin to
Blacken.
I understand. One of tha rafflana
knowa how to' work tha train, and ha la
alow Ins it to anahla them to jump off
nd avoid tha catastrophe.
I begin to matter my torpor. Stagger
ing like a drankra man. I crawl to
Kicko'a case. Thar, in a few words, I
tell him what haa passed, and I exclaim:
-We are lost!"
Xo perhap " he replie.
Before I ran more, Kinko la out of
his box. lie rushea toward the front
door; he rlimba on the tender.
"Come along! Come along.-' he ahont.
I do not know how I hare done K. but
here I am at his side on the foot plate,
tuy feet in the blood of the driver and
stoker, who hate been thrown off on to
the Hue.
Faruskiar and his companion are no
longer here. But before the went oue
.f them has taken off the brakes. jammed
down the regulator to full speed, thrown
fre-di ooflls iat the fire box. and the
train is ruuuing with frightful Telocity,
la a few minutes we shall reach the
-jon viaduct.
Kinko, energetic and resolute. Is as
coo. as a cucumber. But in Tain he
tries to move the regulator, to ahut off
the steam, to put on the brake. These
valves and levers, what shall we do with
them?
"I must tell Popof:" I shout
"And what can he do? No, there is
only one way."
"And what Is that?"
"Bouse un the fire," snys Kinko, calm
ly; "tihut down the safety valves, and
How up the engine."
And was that the only way a des
perate way of stopping the train be
fore it reached the viaduct?
Kinko scattered the coal on to the fire
bars- He turned on the greatest possi-
Me draught, the air roared across the
furnace, the pressure goes up. up. amid
the heaving of the motion, the bellowing
ot the boiler, the benting of the pistons.
We are going a hundred kilometer an
hour.
"Get hack!" shouts Kinko, above the
roar. "(Jet back into the van:"
"And you, Kinko?"
"Get back, I tell you'."
I Fee him hang ou to the valves and
putliis whole weight on the levers.
' (;:" he shouts.
I am off over the tender. I am through
the van. I awake Popof, shouting with
all my strength:
"Get back: Get back:"
A few passengers suddenly waking
from sleep begin to run from the front
car.
Su l lenly there is an explosion and a
hoi.k. The train at first jumps back.
Then it continue to move for about half
a kilometer.
It stops.
Popof, the major, Caterna, most of the
pnssongers are out on the line in an in
stant. A network of scaffolding appears con
fusedly in the darkness above the piers
which were to carry the viaduct ncros
the Tjon valley.
Two hundred yards further the train
would have been lost in the abyss.
CHAPTER XXVH.
And I, who wanted "incident," who
feared the weariness of a monotonous
voyage of six thousand kilometers, in the
course of which I should not meet wih
ar. impression or emotion worth clothing
in t pel
1 have made another muddle of it, I
admit. My lord Farusklar, of whom I
had made a hero by telegraph for the
readers of the Twentieth Century.
We are, as I have said, two hundred
yards from the valley of the Tjon. so
deep and wide as to require a viaduct
from three hundred and fifty to four
hundred feet long. The floor of the
valley is scattered over with rocks and
a hundred feet down. If the train had
been hurled to the bottom of that chasm
not one of us would have escaped alive.
This memorable catastrophe most Inter
esting from a reporter's point of view-
would have claimed a hundred victims,
But thanks to the coolness, energy and
devotion of the young Roumanian, we
have escaped this terrible disaster.
All? No: Kinko has paid with his
life fur the safety of his fellow passen
gers. Amid the confusion my first care was
to visit the luggage van, which had re
mained uninjured. Evidently, if Kinko
had survived the explosion, be would
hare got back into his box and waited
till I put myself in communication with
him.
Alas! I he cotter is empty empty as
that of ft company which has suspended
payment Kinko has been the victim of
his sacrifice.
And so there has been a hero among
onr traveling companions, and he was
not Faruskiar, this abominable bandit
hidden beneath the akin of a manager,
whose name I. have so stupidly publish
mA over the four corners of the globe,
It waa this Roumanian, tois humble, this
Uttle, this poor fellow, whose sweetheart
will wait for him la Tain," and whom she
Correspondent
.
' j
will never again see. Well. I will do bhn I
justice, 1 will tell what be baa done. Aa
to bis secret, I shall be sorry If I keep
It. If be defrauded the Grand Trans
asiatic it la thanks to that fraud that
a whole train baa been saved. We were
lost: we should bare perished In the most
horrible of deatba If Kiuo had not been
there.
I went beck to the line, my heart
heavy, my eyea full of tears.
Assuredly Faruaklar'a scheme. In the
execution of which he bad executed bia
rival, Ki-Tsang. bad been cleverly con
trived In utilising this branch line leading
ft the unfinished viaduct. Nothing waa
easier than to switch off the train If an
accomplice waa at the points. And as
soon as the signal wss given that we
were on the branch all be had to do waa
to gain the footplate, kill the driver
and atoker, alow the train and get off,
leavtng the steam on full to work up to
full speed.
And now there could be no doubt that
the scoundrels, worthy the most refined
tortures that Chinese practice could de
vise, were hastening down Into the Tjoa
valley. There, amid the wreck of the
train, they expected to find the fifteen
millions of gold and precious stones, and
this treasure they could carry off with
out fear of surprise when the night en
abled them to consummate this fearful
crime. Well, they have been robbed,
these robbers, and I hope they will pay
for their crime with their lives, at the
least. I alone know what has passed,
but I will tell the story, for poor Kinko
i no more.
Yes, my mind Is made np. I will
speak as soon as I have seen Zincs
Klork. The poor 'girl must be told with
consideration. The death of her be
trothed must not come upon her like a
thunderclap. Yes, to-morrow, as soon as
we are at Pekln.
After all, if I do not say anything
alout Kinko, I may at least denounce
Furuskiar and Ghsncir and the four
Mongols. I run say that I aaw them go
through the van, that I followed them,
that 1 found they were talking on the
gangway, that I heard the screams of
the driver and stoker aa they were
strangled on the footplate, and that I
then returned to the cars, ahouting,
"Back! Back!" or whatever It was.
We are now standing at the head of
the train. Major Noltitx. the German
baron. Caterna. F.phrlnctl, Pan Chao,
Popof about twenty travelers In all.
The Chinese guard, faithful to their
trust, are still near the treasure, which
not one of them has abandoned. The
rear guard has brought along the tall
lamps, and by their powerful light we
can see in what a state the engine is
If the train, which was then running
at an enormous velocity, hail not stopped
suddenly and thus brought abont Its de
struction it was because the boiler had
exploded at the top and on the side.
The wheels !eing undamaged, the engine
had run far enough to come gradually
to a' standstill of Itself, and thus the
assengers had been saved a violent
hock.
Of the boiler and Its accessories only a
few shapeless fragments remained. The
funnel had 'gone, the dome, the steam
chest; nothing but torn plates, broken.
wisted tubes, split cylinders, and loose
connecting rods gaping wounds in the
corpse of steel.
And not only had the engine been de
stroyed, but the tender had len ren
dered useless. Its tank had been cracked
nd its load of coals eeattered over the
line. The luggage van, curious to re
late, had miraculously escaped without
injury.
"It is only too evident," said one of
the imssemrera. "that our driver and
toker have nerished in the explosion
Poor fellows:" said Popof. "But I
wonder how the train could have got
on the Naukin branch without beiug no
ticed?"
"The night was very dark," said Eph-
rinell. "and the driver could not ee
the points."
That is the only explanation possi
hie." said Popof. "for he would have
tried to stop the train, and, on the con
trary, we were traveling at tremendous
speed."
"But." said Pan Chao, "how doe It
happen the Nankin branch was open
when the Tjon viaduct is not finished?
Had the switch been interfered with?"
"Undoubtedly," said Popof, "nud prob-
nbly out of carelessness
l'p to ndV Major Noltitz had taken
no part in the discussion. Now he in
terrupted Popof, and In a voice heard
by all, be asked:
"Where is Faruskiar?"
They nil looked about and tried to dis
cover what had become of the manager
of the Transasiatic,
And where la his friend Ghanglr?
asked the major. There was no reply
"And where are the four Mongols who
were in tne rear van asuea Major
Noltitz.
And none of them presented them
selves.
"Well, then," said Major Noltitz, "the
rascal who aent us on to the Nankin
line, who would have hurled ms into the
Tjon valley, to walk off with the Impe
rial treasure, is Faruskiar."
"What!" said Popof. "The manager
of the company, who so courageously
drove off the bandits and killed their
chief, Ki-Tsang, with his own hand?'
Then I entered on the scene.
"The major la not mistaken. It was
Faruskiar who laid this trap for us."
And amid tha general stupefaction I
told them what I knew, and what good
fortune had enabled me tb ascertain.
1 told them how I had overheard tha
I plan ot Farusklar and his Mongols,
when It waa too late to atop It, but 1
waa allent regarding the luterveutlou of
Kinko, The moment bad out come, anJ
1 would do him Justice lu due time.
Now that all danger had disappeared,
we ruuat take Immediate measure for
running back the car ou to the Peklo
Una.
"The beet thing te do la to go to the
nearest station, that of Fueo-Choo, and
telegraph to Tal-Touan for them to scud
ou a relief engine," I suggested.
Twelve of ue, Including Pan Chao,
.aierua na myself, voiuuteereu w ac-
company Major Noltlta. Bat by com
Won accord we advised Popof not to
abandon the train, assuring him that we
would do all that was necessary at
uen-Cuoo.
Then, armed with daggers and revolt-
it waa oue o'clock In the ruorulug
we went along the Hue te the Junction.
alklng aa fast as the very dark night
permitted.
In lees than two hours we arrived at
Fuen-Choo station without adventure.
Evidently Faruskiar had cleared off. The
Chinee police would have te deal with
the bandit and bJe accomplices. Would
they catch him? I hoped so, but I doubt
ed It
At the station Tan Ctae explained
matter to the station master, who tele
graphed for aa engine to be seat from
Tat-Youaa to the Nankla line.
At three o'clock. Just at daybreak, we
returned to wait for tha engine at the
unction. Three-quarter of aa hour af
terward Its whistle announced Its ap
proach and it atopped at the bifurcation
of the line. W climbed up on to the
tender, and half aa hour later had re-
oined the train.
The dawn had come on sufficiently for
us to be able to see over a considerable
distance. Without saying anythlug to
nybody, I went lu search of the body
f my ituor Kinko. And 1 could not find
l( among the wreck.
As the engine could not reach the
front of the train, owing to there being
only a single line, and no turning table,
it was decided to couple it on in the rear
iid run backward to the J u ml ion. In
this way the box, alas! without the Rou
manian lu it. was In the last carriage.
We started, and In half an hour we were
on the main Hue again.
Everything end in this world below,
even a voyage of six thousand kilometers
on the Grand Transasiatic; and after a
run of thirteen days, hour after hour,
ur train stopped at the gates of the
capital of the Celestial Empire.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Pekin!" shouted Popof. "All change
here."
It was four o'clock in the afternoon.
For people fatigued with three hundred
nd twelve hours of traveling. It was no
ime for running about the town what
lo I say? the four towns. Inclosed one
within the Other. Beside I had plenty
f time. I was going to stop some weeks
in this capital.
The Important thing was to find a ho
tel In which one could live passably.
From information received I was led t"
beliere that the Hotel of Ten Thousand
I (reams, near the railway station, might
be eufflcicutly in accord with weetern uo
tions. s to Mademoiselle Klork, I will post
pone my visit till to-morrow. I will
call on her before the box arrives, and
even then I shall be too soon, fur I shall
take her the news of Klnko's death.
Half an hour afterward we are In
stalled at the Hotel of Ten Thousand
Dreams. There we are served with a
linner in Chinese style. The repast be
ing over toward the second watch we
lay ourselves on beds that are too nar
row, in rooms with little comfort, and
sleep not the sleep of the just, but the
sleep of the exhausted and tluit la just
as good.
I did not wake before ten o clock, and
I might have slept all the morning if
the thought had not occurred to tne that
I had a duty to fulfill. And what a
duty. To call In the Avenue Cha-Coua
before the delivery of the unhappy case
to Mademoiselle Zlnco Klork.
Ah! if Kinko had not succumbed, I
should have returned to the railway sta
tion I should have assisted in the un
loading of the precious package. I would
have watched It on the cart, and I would
have accompanied it to the Avenue Cha
Coua; I would even have helped in car
rying him up to Mademoiselle Zinca
Klork. And what a double explosion of
joy there would have been, when Kinko
jumped through the panel to fall Into
the nrtns of the fair Ronmnnlan! But
no! When the box arrive it will bo
empty empty as n heart from which all
the blood has escaped.
(To be continued.)
' 1 ' t
HI Luck Averted.
"My dear," said Mrs. Spenders by
way of preliminary, "would you con
alder an opal unlucky?"
"I would If I got a bill for one and
had to pay It," began her husband
sternly.
"On," she Interrupted, "I'm no glad
I ordered a diamond instead!" Catho
lic Standard and Times.
No Speeding.
Larry Yez aame to be takln' yer
tolme wld tblm hammer awn nails.
Denny Yls, Ol'm workJn by th'
day.- Ol'll not be loike a chauffeur.
Larry Yez won't?
Denny No, Ol'll nlver be arriated
for fast drolvln'."
Up In the Air.
"Why don't you turn your pen to
higher themes?" asked the well-meaning
friend. ,
"I'd like to," replied the funny man,
"but there doesn't seem to be any de
mand for skyscraper Jokes at present"
Not So Enjoyable.
Friend Yourweddlng breakfast was
a delightful affair. Mr. Honeymoon
(with a sigh) Yes, but we've bad oth
ers since.
COLLEGE HONORS
''
Can you guest who will get It?
GREAT RUSSIAN WATERWAY.
Caar'e Oovernment Planning for Hal-
tic-HUik He hlp Canal.
The recent appointment of a com
mUslon tc examine the intention of
constructing a canal to unite- tin Bui
tic and Black Sens revive Interest
In this tremendous project, which Is
no less than digging a canal etinl In
length to most of tlio so-called canals
on Mars. It Is by alt odds the greatest
canal scheme of modern times, and
while It presents dlttlcultles. such as
passing the Cataracts of the iMilepcr
K.vor, which havo a total full of U7
feet. It U not considered by any uieuiu
Impracticable.
While the canal Is primarily a strate
gic work, for Russia lias a large Meet
In tno Black Sen which Is rusting
from Inertia, It Is Just as Important
commercially, for, as no other agency
iioi'tk or rnofosKU camau
could. It will open up trade In the In
terior of the Tsar's European domains
and by It tolls be not only self-sup
porting but source of revenue to the
government
Longest Canal In World.
From Riga, on the Baltic, to Kher
son, at the entrance to the Black Hen,
la only HOQ miles in a straight line,
but the canal, as mapped by Mr
Ruckteschell, who, It Is said, will pos
slbly be Intrusted with Its building
will bo almost twice us long, or be
tween 1,410 and 1,4(W miles, according
to the route selected. When completed
It will be the longest canal In the
world, but In spite of these superla
AUSTRIA
BTOIAMfT f
nvi.akiTk
r.iMff cn ii r J . ',-v ,
11, if ir vsw
BLACK SEA AND SURROUNDING TERRITORY.
tlves, Its cost will, comparatively
speaking, not be great. An American
syndicate has offered to construct the
work for fdlo.000,000, or for about
tbreo-nftbs the bid made by a Russian
syndicate.
These bids were made a year ago on
the favorite route mentioned. Since
then, however, a scheme has been pre
pared by a Belgian engineer, Comte
Oustave Defosse, in wnicn J. iving
Co., of London, are lntereated. The
detalla of this proposal have not yet
been made public, but they are said
to apply to a wftterwfty about 400 miles
shorter and having ft uniform depth of
28 'feet and a breadth on the surface
of 208 feet, and at bottom of 114
feet If this plan Is followed, the
engineer states the canal eta be oom-
THE FINAL AWARD.
Chicago Tribune.
pleted In about sis years. With a
speed of el;;tit knots, the passage
would occupy about five d.iys.
The original plan, which. In tlew
of the rnpldly Increasing sl.o of ves
sels. Is tii"rs aecoiiiiiiiMatlng. wn for
A waterway 314 feet deep, 110 feet
wide at bottom and 'Jl feet wide at
surface. Included In this plan It a
broad, well-paved roadway, built at
the side of the canal for Its whole
length. As Russia Is nut famed for Its
good roads, this Improvement will I
of almost aa much Importance as the
vanal ltcl
Apart from n extensive works lo
he built at the cataract and the actual
digging of only twelve mile through
a country presenting no great dllneulty
to the operation, the canal building
will very largely Je the simple work
of dredging a deep channel In the
rivers and the existing canal and the
widening of the latter.
No .one familiar with Russia's hu
miliating position on the Black Sea
need be told that the subject I an old
one aim recogiii.oii necessity, for
while the Tsar has been permitted to
build ft powerful fleet of warship on
the Black Sea, trestles and conven
tions extending back almost a cen
tury, or since 1Si9. havo closed the
gate of the Dardanelles upon them.
The Black Sea fleet which consists
of about l.'iO ships, has been "locked"
In the Black Sea principally through
British action, although Rustla Is a
party to most of the treaties, recognis
ing the fact that it is some consolation
to know that no other force, not even
a British fleet, may pas through the
straits, "tho key io the Tsar'a home,"
us Napoleon described It
During the last year, however, Rus
sia hns fidt the need of her caged
fleet, which, If It could have been
dispatched to the Far Enst at an op
portune time, might hare changed the
history of the war. At present the
Black Sen fleet can only bo used to
menace tho "sick man of the East,"
whom most of tho power do not de
sire disturbed, for fear of the awful
contention for th "remains" If the
Turk were driven out of Europe.
Whllo Great Britain Is distributing
her tleets has always made due allow
ance for tho Ineffective character of
the Black Sea fleet and consequently
line beep nbli to irtnll the slzo of
JIUSSIA
, BATVM,
hcr Mediterranean aquadron, there la
a general Impression that Russia
would by means characteristic be able
to send her Black Sea fleet past the
Dardanelles If a European war were
forced upon her and made auch a
coup desirable.
The canal from the Baltic to the
Black Sea would bring St Petersburg
8,000 miles nearer the Far East, and
what la more to the point, would
bring It so much nearer Egypt and
India, ilt Is no secret that notwith
standing the disastrous outcome of tha
war In the Far East, Russia will strike
for an outlet on the Indian Ocean.
Some men go to war and bleed for
their country and some others stay at
home and bleed their country.
ill -"nank