Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1904 — A SOLDIER OF COMMERCE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A SOLDIER OF COMMERCE

By JOHN ROE GORDON

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. Chapter I—Harvey Irons, a corameecial Xut in Russia for a firm of American man* cturers, has been expelled from the czar’s domiuions. The caar has just prohibited the traffic in Georgia women. Hafiz Effendi. a Turk, and Mlslk, agent for the ameer of Bokhara, are in Tiflis seeking a bride for Prince Davonoa. ll—Hafiz points out to Misik the bride he has selected, a beautiful Georgian, Koura, daughter of a rich merchant In Tiflis. Hafiz agrees to deliver the girl to a boat oaptain on the Caspian recommended by Mizik. Captain Orskoff of the czar's army has the Turk under surveillence. Ill—Hafiz and one Hassan, a greedy oaptain on Kur river, lure the merchant and his daughter on board of Hassan's boat at midnight. Hafiz kills the merchant, and Hainan sails away with Eoura locked in a cabin. Koura has pledged her hand to Captain Orskoff. IV—While beating about the eastern waters trying to reach Novgorod Irons boards Hassan’s boat against the will of the captain, who. however, takes a bribe to earry the American to Astrakan. A Russian gunboat overhauls the craft. Hassan tells a frtausible story about the presence of Koura, mplicating Irons, whoisarrested for abduction of one of the czar’s subjects. V—lrons is taken to Tiflis. In the family apartments of the prison where he is confined his sweetheart. Mile. Alma Jurnieff, niece of the governor. Colonel Jurnieff, is kept in seclusion. Her father and uncle had caused the banishment of the American to separate the lovers. Alma hears of Irons’ plight and vows to save him. Vl—Colonel Jurnieff is conspiring to crush Irons. Hassan appears in court as witness against the American, who. he gays, was abducting Koura. Vll—Prince Dellnikoff is coming to Tiflis. He is the choice of Alma's father for a son-in-law. Alma buys n ship’s cargo of hay to be deli vered at Astrabad, Persia, and stipulates that the ship shall carry a man as passenger. VII I—The governor gives a ball in honor of Prince Dellnikoff. Alma, b.v her graeiousiuiss and witchcrv, captivates both the prince and her uncle. IX —Colonel Jurnieff expects to wiu promotion by bringing about The marriage of ills niece and the prince. He urges Dellnikoff to have the betrothal announced at the ball. Dellnikoff proposes'and promises Alma any favor she may wish, She asks for one of his uniforms to indulge in a lurk as pretended inspector of prisons. X—Disguised as the prince. Alma inspects the dungeons. The prince himself, enveloped in a long cioak. accompanies her. Dellnikoff' gets stupid from wine. Alma locks him in a cell, first securing his cloak, which she gives to Irons, whom she releases. Irons passes the guard unchallenged. Xl Alma conducts Irons to the hayboat. As the lovers are about to separate the alarm sounds in the prison. Alma escapes with Irons, and they hide under the hay. Xll—Soldiers searcli the boat. It is ordered to leave Tifiis at once. Xlll—Captain Charka is lost overboard during a storm, and the crew go to his rescue and refuse to return. CHAPTER Xlll—Continued.

Suddenly wind had come in squalls. It whistled through the ropes, and one snapped. Charka could be heard outside cursing and bawling out orders to his men. Harvey went to the door and tried to see In the darkness. The boat began to mqve rapidly through the water and careened to one side. A flash of lightning showed him the three men hard at work trying to control the saila. “The storm you feared has come, little girl, but do not be afraid. I’ll go outside and see what I can do to help." “Can I be of user’ he asked, raising his voice to a shout “Use! Yes, you can be es use!” bawled Cbarka. “Help me and my men.” Charka’s voice showed his agitation. His men were working like beavers to unite the rope that had parted. Harvey assisted, and soon the sail was bellying out before the steadily growing wind. "Now!” cried Charka exultingly as the old boat gathered speed. “Now the Turk’s cayik would not be so fast!” But his Jubilation came too soon. A sudden gust of wind tore the rope he was holding from his hand, and one that had been fastened to a pm at the side of the boat snapped with a report like that of a pistol. It cracked two or three times In the air and then wound itself around Charka’s neck. A smothered curse came from him as he struggled with the rope. As Harvey stepped forward to assist him the sail gave an extra pull, and Charka was dragged over the side of the boat into the sea. A cry came from hitn as he sank, and his men muttered their prayers as they stood shivering, realizing the uselessness of trying to aid him. “Don't stand there like Idiots!” shouted Harvey. “You've got a small boat. Get it into the water and save Charka!” “It cannot be done!” cried one. “lie is already left far behind.” “Get out the boat, and I will go with you to rescue him.” “No, not you! l'ou are the one who brought this upon us. Many times have we sailed upon the Caspian, but never before did this thing happen to us. It, serves us right for taking an unbeliever and a Muscovite woman on the boat That was our curse.” “Nonsense! Get out the boat.” The two consulted a njoment, speaking so low that Harvey could not hear. “YVe will go to rescue Cbarka,” said the one who had done the talking. “But you cannot go. You would bring us another curse.” Harvey went into the cabin to get a lantern. With the aid of this he watched the two men get the small boat off. “Look well for him. He was a good man,” said Harvey. “He was,” came the answer as the boat moved off. “YY’e shall not return. We will not remain on a boat with a Muscovite woman and an unbeliever. We do not wish to kill, so we leave.” Harvey stood aghast. Alone he could not handle the sails. He shouted to them to come back, but they paid no attention to him. He returned to Alma. “The fools have left us! Charka was thrown overboard by a broken rope, and I told them to go in the small boat to rescue them. They took the boat, preferring that in the storm to remaining on this boat with us. They say, my darling, we have brought a curse upon them.” The wind howled. The boat shivered

aa it was driven along at Increasing •peed. The timbers surely would not hold together long. “My darling! What a terrible experience for you!” said Harvey, taking her in hfs arms. "It Is impossible to control the boat The only thing I can do la to try to cut away the sails.” “Dear Harvey, I will help you.” But they bad nothing save the sword of the inspector general of prisons with which to work. With this they hacked at a few ropes they could reach, but the sails were held by ropes that had wound themselves around the masts. One mast broke and fell to the deck. It was beyond the power of both to move It. The speed of the boat seemed to be none the less for the loss of that mast. The rain now came down in torrents. The boat rocked and rolled and the waves swept completely over it. “We cannot remain here,” said Harvey. “We must climb up on the hay.’! They soon had a perch in the hay, which they kept by clinging to the cords that bound it to keep it in place. One of Harvey’s arms was around the girl. They rushed along hour after hour, each moment fearing that the boat would sink or turn over. Suddenly there was a loud crash. The remaining mast broke and went plunging into the sea. The boat lurched frightfully, and it now seemed impossible for it to live in the foaming waters much longer. “Darling one!” cried Alma. “My dearest sweetheart! Kiss me! Tell me once again that you love me, and with your strong arm around me I am content to die.” He kissed her passionately. “It is hard, my beautiful darling, to die when liberty is almost ours! But I see no hope. The boat is filled and must surely sink. If this be God’s will, let us not cry out against it. Kiss me again. God grant that this may not be our last farewell!” CHAPTER XIV. THE LOVERS ARK SEPARATED. HHE cessation of the storm found the old hayboat still afloat, but the two lovers on top of the hay were in a precarious condition. The wind and rain bad chilled Alma, and she snuggled close to Harvey for warmth. “My darling!” he said as he bugged her close. “This is indeed a terrible experience for you. Rather would I have remained in the prison at Tiflis than subject you to such peril.” “Dear one, they would have killed you, and that would have killed me. Is It not better for us to die together, if we must die?” “Yes, It Is better; but, since the old hulk and Its load of hay have survived the worst of the storm, we may yet run across a boat that will pick ub up.” “Let us hope so.” They spoke little as they huddled together on the hay. Each was straining to hear the faintest sound that might come from over the water. “Hark!” said Harvey. "Dearest, did you not hear something?” “I fancied—l hoped—l heard a shout. Can it be that Russian boats are out after us so soon, and in that storm?” “The Russians would not be shouting. I fancy it is some one in distress. Perhaps the Turks in that cayik are shouting for help.” With clasped hands they waited through the dark hours of the early morning. Dawn began streaking the east. Harvey strained his eyes to pierce the scarcely perceptible light. Not more than 200 feet from them .was a long, low hull that seemed at rest. The hum of voices could be heard as the wind and rolling current carried them nearer. “We are saved!” cried Alma, and she wept on his breast. “Ho, there!” shouted Ilarvey at the top of his voice. “Whoever you are, help us!” “What is the voicV that speaks out of the darkness?” came a shout. "In the name of Allah tell us!” Then above the other voice there rose cries of “Allah! Allah, 11l Allah! Mohma Mohammed Resoul Ullah!” “Mohammedans, and most likely Turks,” said Harvey. “Yet that does not sound like a Turkish voice. But any port in a storm.” As the dawn increased and the old hay barge floated nearer the other boat Harvey could distinguish dark forms lined up along the deck rail. He seemed to recognize that -long, low, black hull. A rope was thrown to him, and he caught It after several attempts. Those on board the vessel drew the hayboat toward it. “W'ho are you?” came a voice In a Jargon that Harvey happily understood. “We are castaways on a wreck,” he answered, trying to produce a combination of toffgues that these men could understand. He had been long enough in the east to know that when one crossed a frontier he did not at once leave the language of one country behind him and find a totally distinct tongue of another In use. The people who trade across a frontier borrow from each other enough to combine their dialects and produce a sufficiently intelligible language for Intercourse, and as one recedes from the frontier the borrowed words from the other

country are gradually lost until the tongue of the natives is In use. Thus It was that, no matter with whom he came In contact. Irons could make himself understood. “We will take you!” came the voice, and the hayboat was drawn close to the other. Powerful arms were outreached to them, and Irons, stiff and sore from the experience of the night, gathered his strength to pass Alma over. “A soldier of the hated czar!” yelled one on board, scanning the uniform of the inspector general of prisons, which Alma still wore. “One of our enemies!” A sharp cry escaped Alma, and Harvey sang out: “Have a care how you use that worn»n! That 1b my wife! She wears that uniform only to escape!” As he spoke he tried to leap to the other vessel, but a long spear stopped him. "Remain where you are till we understand this thing!” said one who

seemed to be an officer. “If you attempt to come on this ship before you are wanted, you will be killed.” “What is it you wish to understand?” Another and another spear appeared until a regular wall of lance points barred him from the vessel. “Remain where you are!” The terrified Alma was taken, with polite attentions, to a comfortable cabin, fitted up in oriental luxury. Here she saw, weeping upon a divan, the beautiful daughter of the murdered Biartelkis. “Koura!” exclaimed Alma, throwing her arms around the girl. But Koura, thinking that she was being embraced by a man, repulsed Alma. “Koura, do you not know me? lam Alma Jurnieff!” “Alma Jurnieff? Am I, then, rescued again by Russians?” “No, my poor girl; I am as unlucky as you. My American sweetheart, who was accused of abducting you the first time and was thrown into prison at Tiflis to be sent to Siberia or killed, escaped with my assistance. I wore the uniform of the inspector general of prisons, and by acting a part I succeeded in getting him out. We escaped from Tiflis while the alarm guns were being fired. The soldiers even came upon the boat where we were hiding under the hay. A storm overtook us. The captain of the boat was swept overboard, and the other men deserted in a small boat, thinking the American was the cause of the storm. M. Irons and I, left alone, have just been rescued by the men on this boat. At least, I am here, hut M. Irons is held on the hayboat. They thought, as you did, that I was a Russian officer.” “I know you are not now,” said Koura, putting her arm around Alma. “I recognize your voice and face. I.et them know that M. Irons is a friend.” “How shall I address them? Do you know them well? When did you come?” “But a short time ago. I know now that the American had nothing to do with my abduction. Of course you know that my father has not been found, and I had no home. I Was lodging with my uncle, Dimitri Biartelkis, and one night as I was closing his house I was seized, hurried into a drosky and taken to the river, where I was put into a Turkish cayik.” “Y*ou passed us,” cried Alma, “but we did not suspect that you were there.” “You could not. Even the soldiers that came—l thought they were looking for me. but they must have been looking.ffir you—wore deceived. I was thrust into a sack and placed under several other sacks of meal and grain, and they did not find me. Oh, this is terrible! But M. Irons will protect and defend us.” “Will he?”demanded a short, swarthy officer of the ameer’s boat as he turned Alma rudely around. “Let me look at you. You have cut your hair if you are a woman. But you must he a woman, you are so beautiful. Since we have had so much trouble with your accursed Muscovite officers, and have had to take the bride of our noble prince twice, we will recompense ourselves by taking you also. Keep each other In good cheer, for in a time the officers of our glorious ameer will dance at the wedding of son, the prince. I will have the American, as you call him, thrust aside.” Reaching the deck, he gave commands to raise the anchor and set sail. “We have accomplished that for which we came and more,” he said. “The supposed officer is, as that fellow said, a/ woman and a beautiful one.” “What is that?’ asked the heavy

Voice of an officer who seeiped half drunk as he came up to where the group stood with their spears leveled at Harvey’s breast. ' “I report, Karakal, that we have accomplished more than our mission. We received from Hafiz Effendi and Mizik the beautiful daughter of the merchant Biartelkis, whom they assure us is the loveliest young woman In the world and a fitting bride for our noble prince. Now comes this load of hay on which two cried for rescue. One is this man you see, of a race called Americans. The other is clad in a Russian uniform, but proves to he a lovely young woman, as lovely as the other. She Is on board. I have ordered the ship to sail. Have I done right?” “Yes. But Jet me see this last one.” He went to the cabin and gazed with delight upon the white and agitated face of Alma. “You are a prize indeed.” he said. “We will keep you. In obeying the orders of the ameer and taking to Bokhara a bride for the prince we receive nothing but good words for duty done, while Hafiz Effendi gets the money. But with you we can do ns we please. You are lovely enough to sell to a prince and line our purses with gold.” “Have mercy! Have mercy!” cried Alma, falling on her knees and holding up her clasped hands in supplication. “Have mercy on my friend who is still on the hay! Save his life, set him free and do with me what you will!” Karakal looked a moment into her upturned, tearful face. Then, with a grin, he went on deck. "Push that hayboat off!” ho shouted. “Let the infidel die or escape as he may. Push him off!” “In God’s name do not separate me from my wife!” shouted Ilarvey desperately. “Your wife!” repeated Karakal. with a laugh. “She does not say so. She says you are but a friend. She lias found another friend on the ship, one who is as beautiful as herself, the daughter of Biartelkis, the merchant of Tiflis. They will get along together, and at Bokhara they will become the brides of princes. But you! We cannot make money by. taking you, and you might prove troublesome. .The storm is past. You have plenty of fodder and will not starve. Hay is good. All beasts eat liny.” With a shout of laughter the men shoved away with their spears, and as tho wind filled the sails of the long black sloop Harvey, enraged and filled with alarm for Alma, was floating alone on the Caspian on a boat filled with water, the load of hay settling deeper and deeper in the sea. (TO BB CONTINUED.)

“Remain where you are!”