Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1904 — A SOLDIER OF COMMERCE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A SOLDIER OF COMMERCE

BY JOHN ROE GORDON

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. Chatter I—Harvey Irons, a commercial agent in Russia for a firm of American manufacturer*. has been expelled fromtheczar’s dominions. The czar has just prohibited the traffic in Georgia women. Hafiz Effendi. a Turk, and Mizik. agent for the ameer of Bokhara, are in Tittis seeking a bride for Prince Davonca. ll—Hafiz points out to Mizik 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 captain ou the Caspian recommended by Mizik. Captain Orskoff of the czar’s army has the Turk under surveillence. Ill—Hafiz and one Hassan, a greedy captain on Kur river, lure the merchant and his daughter on board of Hassan’s boat at midnight. Hafiz kills the merchant, and Hassan sails away with Koura locked in a cabin, Konra has pledged her hand to Captain Orskoff. IV—While beating about the eastern waters trying to rpach Novgorod Irons boards Hassan s boat against the will of the captain, who. however, takes a bribe to carry the American to Astrakan. A Russian gunboat overhauls the craft. Hassan tells a plausible story about the presence of Konra. implicating Irons, who is arrested 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 .lurnieff is conspiring to crush Irons. Hassarr appears in court as witness against the American, who. he says, was abducting Koura. Vll—Prince Dellnikoff is corning to Tiflis. He is the choice of Alma's fattier for a son-in-law. Alma buys a ship’s cargo of hay to lie delivered at Astrabad. Persia, and stipulates that the ship shall carry a man as passenger. VIII—The governor gives a ball in honor of Prince Dellnikoff. Alma, by her graciousness and witcherv. captivates both the prince and her uncle. IX— Colonel Jurnicif expects to win promotion by bringing about The marriage of his niece and the prince. He urges Dellnikott to have tiie betrothal announced at the ball. Dellnikoff proposes and promises Alina any favor she may wish. She asks for oneof his uniforms to indulge in a lark as pretended inspector of prisons. X—Disguised astheprince. Alma inspects the dungeons. The prince himself, enveloped in a long cloak, accompanies her. Dellnikoff gets stupid from wine. Alma locks him in a cell, first securing his cloak, w hich she gives to Irons, whom she releases. Irons passes the fuard unchallenged. Xl—Alma conducts rons to the hayboat, As the lovers arc about to separate the alarm sounds in the prison. Alma escapes with Irons, and they hide under the hay. Xll—Soldiers search the boat. It is ordered to leave Tiflis at once. Xlll—Captain Charka is lost overboard during a storm, and the crew go to his rescue and refuse to return. XlV—The drifting boat falls in with the black boat of Bokhara which Hafiz had engaged to convey Koura to the ameer's country. Alma is taken on board. Meeting of Alma and Koura. Irons left to his fate on the hay-boat. XV The hayboat rung on an island. Irons falls in with robbers. Captain Orskoff appears with a band t>f soldiers and captures the whole party. XVl—lrons taken on board a gunboat. Orskskoff hears the story of Kuora s plight and Alma's adventure. Plan to rescue the girls from the black boat. XYH— Orskoff will take his prisoners to Triflis. Irons prevails upon him to turn traitor to the czar and release the prisoners, then join in pursuit of the bluek boat. XVlll—Palpak. a robber chief, is bribed to help the lovers. They intercept a caravan, wieh Alma and Konra travel from the coast to the palace of the ameer. CHAPTER XVlll—Continued. Orskoff ordered the irons removed from the robber. When the three were alone, Harvey said to Palpak: “We have had you brought here to have a businesslike talk. You appreciate your situation, I suppose.” “I am a prisoner of the czar. He will perhaps kill me.” “Just so. And all of your treasure, the stealings of many months, is on board this boat.” “Yes, to enrich a Russian officer. My people can starve. The ameer’s tax must be paid or twenty of our best young men and women must go to Bokhara. It is wrong.” “Of course it is wrong. We know your people hate the ameer and that the ameer is cruel. It was a strange chance that took me to that island of Ping Shong.” “You saved my life, for my brothers were mad with wine.” “Your future course will show whether I did well. Let me explain how I caine to the island.” Then followed a detailed rehearsal of the story of Ivoura and Alma. “They are beautiful girls,” said Harvey as he concluded. “One is to be the wife of the captain; the other is to be my wife.” “Why do you tell me this? I am a prisoner.” “Because we want your assistance In rescuing these two girls from the men of Bokhara. They are your enemies, and you have sufficient reason to hate them.” “But I do not love the Russians more.”

‘•This is not a question of loving the Russians. I saved your life, did I not?” “I would do anything for you.” “Suppose you are set free and the treasure is restored to you. The only return we ask is that you give us all the assistance in your power to recover the two young women.” “Do you mean that the Russian will permit me to depart in peace to my people and take with me the treasure that I stole?”

“Yes; to rescue the young girls we will do that. The captain has promised it” “Do you agree?" put in Orskoff anxiously. t “I am not a fool." “That means you agree, of course,” said Harvey. “The ameer is the sliest rascal in Asia, but our united brains ought to be able to outwit him. First we must figure out where the girls probably are now.” “Where was the ameer’s boat when you saw it?” asked Palpak eagerlyj “I cannot say. I drifted all day and half the night before I reached the island. It went in the same direction I drifted.” _i_ “They were going to Siloon.” “What ia Siloon?" “The moat important pm on the Bokharan shore. It ia not a Zannuck vil-

lage, nor do the people like the dmeer. They are for the greater part exiles from Khiva.” “Then they will not fight for the ameer?” “No, nor against him. They wish only to be let alone.” “How long would it take the boat to reach Siloon?” “Two days. By this time they are at Siloon, and we could not overtake them, as the finest camels of the ameer would be in waiting for them, with a guard of his best soldiers.” “Is it not possible that a caravan of rich goods will take advantage of this escort and go to Bokhara?” “It would be so.” “There would be some delay getting started.” “The ameer’s soldiers would be afraid to linger.” “Then what can be done, Palpak? We put the matter into your hands.” “Excellent sire, you promise me

much. One of you saved my life; the other, a Russian officer, releases me, and I can take thex treasure to my starving people. I am grateful. I will do all I can to assist you in winning back the young women. From Siloon the road to Bokhara is winding. It runs through what is called the Siloon pass. We are now in what is known as the Kharaboghaz. A short sail from here is a small village on the coast belonging to my people. By going there and taking the trail over the mountains we can reach the Siloon pass at a point where it will be four days’ journey for the caravan. It will take us only three days.” “Good!” said Harvey. “What then?”

“The Zannucks have munyjcauses to hate the soldiers of the ameer. They will have fine camels and horses. There will also be many valuables going to Bokhara. If there is to be a wedding of a prince, there will be great feasting, and the ameer will distribute gifts. Some of these will be in the caravan. My people will follow me to the Siloon pass.” “By the Kharaboghaz do you mean the Scythian gulf?” asked Harvey. “Yes. It is what we call the gulf.” “Then our plan is clear. Orskoff, yon and I will go with Palpak in his boat to this village of his people and accompany his warriors to the pass. Send Nevisky to Siloon with all speed. If he finds the caravan there, let him attack and rescue the girls. If the caravan has gone, let him wait there for our return. We must go back to Siloon if we rescue the girls or there will be no way of leaving the coast.” “I will explain the plan to Nevisky,” Bald Orskoff.

Nevisky listened with many misgivings. A Russian officer to release prisoners in this manner and to set foot on forbidden soil! But Orskoff was his superior officer. He could do nothing but obey. The treasure was placed in Palpak’s sailing vessel, and the four robbers, with Harvey and Orskoff, the latter fully armed from the stores of the gunboat, went on board. The gunboat steamed away for Siloon, and the other boat, with all sail set, started for Palpak’s little village.

CHAPTER XIX. THE BIDE TO SILOON PASS. HHE people of the village swarmed to look at the strangers, who seemed to be of a race they looked upon as enemies, yet their chief, Palpak, treated these men as friends. Palpak was a chief who gave no explanations of his acts, and when he demanded horses for himself, his brothers and hia friends they were at once forthcoming. Domitan, the brother who had been so eager to kill Palpak, was morose and showed but little favor to the guests. The latter, confident that their plans would be successful, treated him considerately. They thought not of the risk they ran jn going, with rob-

bers for escort, into a country from which few travelers bad ever returned. The moving power was love, and love laughs at danger. From the village a winding path led from the low shore land to a distant range of hills. Along this their progress was rapid; but, arriving at the hills, they found a rugged, rocky road over which traveling was slow. The small horses of the Zannucks were sturdy animals and went unshod over the Jagged stones that covered the narrow path. The natives stared at them in amazement. A Russian officer in uniform, accompanying their chief on terms of friendship, was a scene they had never contemplated. Some thought Orskoff was a prisoner, though he did not act like one. Harvey seemed actually to be the leader.

Hidden among great knolls and sequestered in fertile valleys were little villages seemingly devoted to peaceful pursuits. Flocks of the world famous sheep, the skins of whose lambs are sent to Persia, where they are made into garments or cured and sent to Europe and America, were browsing on the hillsides. All the herdsmen bore arms. One would have a rifle; another wore a belt in which two or three pistols were thrust; some carried the old time spear. Their garb was most picturesque. The turbaned Turk, the jaunty Circassian. the jacketed Greek, none of these could match the gay dress of these hillmen. The road grew rougher and more difficult. They climbed laboriously, stopping often to give their horses a breathing spell. On either side the jagged rocks rose to great heights and the mountains stood majestically aj>out them. “No wonder these people cannot he subdued,” said Harvey. “Nature has built for them a fortress that no guns can batter down.” “The trouble is,” said Orskoff, “that nature does this only where a fortress is not necessary. When it comes to guarding a city, placing a battlement upon a passage between two seas, nature may be gracious enough to bestow a rock or two, but they must be fashioned by the hand of man to suit the purpose of defense.” “The reason is not that nature is grudging,” said Harvey. “It is that man is so stubborn that he establishes his cities in places where they can be established. Nature’s fortifications are in places where no one ever xvants to go.” “Except ourselves at the present time. Hello! There is a big town.” They had reached a high point in the road and looked down a sloping stretch into a valley, where a town was laid out that ealled forth exclamations from both. Amid green and luxurious surroundings, on the banks of a little river that found its devious way into the Scythian gulf, this city of the Zannucks was laid out with a precision

that wmuld do credit to an Engliah or American town. Following the almost straight line of the river, the main street stretched a half mile. On this were the principal bazaars and market places, with drainage directly into the river. At right angles to thiswere other streets, with houses of or wood, ornamented according to the taste of the owners, each having a little patch of green and fruit trees and garden. “Orskoff,” said Harvey, pointing to an elevation back of the town, “probably the only thing this town lacks is good drinking water. I’d like to put up one of my windmills and a pump right there. I’ll ask Palpak for a concession when the other business is over.” “So confident are you in the success of the expedition that you can talk of windmills!” “I’ve talked windmills all my life. I made them when I was a boy. I can pick out a likely spot for one with my eyes shut.” Harvey was interrupted by the impetuous welcome given to the returning chief. “Hail, Palpak, chief of the Zannucks!” cried the people, men, women

and children rushing to surround the party. “.What hast thou brought to pay the terrible tax the ameer has put upon us?” “Much treasure, my children! It is well. These are my friends, to whom you must show hospitality." “We will! We will! Thy friends are our friends, O Palpak ?’ “There ia much to be said. The treasure will be guarded until Hie tax of

the ameer is paid. But there is something to be done now. Let my captains come to me while we eat and rest. We must hasten away to obtain more treasure and perform a service for my friends.” He led them to the finest house in the place, where women waited upon them. Wine and food were brought. When they had finished, Harvey and Orskoff smoked and listened to the parley between Palpak and his captains. There were ten of these, including the brothers of Palpak. Domltan was second in command by reason of his relationship as next eldest brother of Palpak. “Is war declared?” asked one of the warriors. “Have the hated Muscovites again threatened us?” “No; it is not war against the Muscovites.” “What, then, O chief? Inform u« that we may fight as becomes the Zannucks.” “A caravan conveying much treasure and that which is greater than treasure, of more value than gold or gems, Will pass on the way to Bokhara. It will be composed of the servants and soldiers of the ameer, who has so frequently sent soldiers to murder us and steal our children and compelled us to pay tribute. These soldiers of the ameer have stolen two beautiful girls, who were to be the wives of my two friends. I was in difficulty, and this one, the American, assisted me and saved my life. The other, a Muscovite officer, had ua in his power, but released us that we might bring the tribute to you, my people. In return I have told them that we would go to the Siloon pass and rescue the young women they love so well.” “We are ready! Horses will be brought from the fields! Great is’Balpak, chief of the Zannucks!”

(TO BE CONTINUED.)

“We have had you brought, here to have a businesslike talk."

“Listen, 0 my people!”