A Z enst j cr y vie 00 7 r SYNOPSIS frederick hardy 14 fashionable doston boston society man lot lost him hl wealth was jilted by a girl arl and sent by a friend to take ahara of 0 an american trading company tore in russia on hla his jou lourney t through arpey japan ap he met aeto stapleton n neville t ine supposedly an eng englishman an they agreed to to so together to russia lula because of sus mi vm clous circumstances they the were g several veral times molested by the japanese hardy ardy wa ema was arrested a and ra d found upon his person were papers showing maps mapa of jap forts hardy was proven guiltless on a train he met alseme sano bano daughter ot of a jap merchant in shoes oboes JP found victores Vic pictures tures ot of forts proving him to be a russian spy hardy departed tor for rusa s bla on a steamer Ht eamer which was wr wrecked cited shortly a afterward ter ward ile he was rescued by a Itus russian steamer on reaching vlad vladivostok vos tok he was well treated lie he started for or siberia meeting princess Roman ovnA on the train hardy boarded a vessel for or amur hardy showed the princess tits ills expertness as a rifle ride shot allot the steamer was stranded the princess and her maid were attacked by chinese hardy caved laved their lives the princess thanked hardy for hla his heroism Manchur luns lans gred alred upon the cratt craft hardy slew their thief burning arrows were hurled upon the Push kins decks an attempt was waa made to board the vessel tile the attacking chinese chine were repulsed romanoff noff a sneered it at hardys solicitude for the princess stanka a messenger sent tor for help wits was nailed to a cross on the shore to put an end to the awful torture hardy himself f put stanka out of tits ills misery taking lila ills own life in his hands forest fires menaced the vessel hardy flardy volunteered to so 0 tor for help refused permission lie he ru jumped ped overboard 0 ei board and stalled to swim with the princess distress message nies romanoff was antry at hardy for hla his brave efforts to rescue the princess ile ho wooed her in tits lila own savage way ile he said hardy had made love openly to a japanese girl help came and the princess was rescued hardy journeyed on a raft arriving at tits hla destination lie took charge of the trading companas comp anys business hardy received a letter from a social leader in boston and another from ansome Ala orne hardy to took k lessons in russian of a jw jew thus thua connecting himself in a way with that race hardy received a letter from the princess him for ilia bravery hardys hardy ia teacher leather was in danger ot of death lie he employed wang vang as W servant hardy went to moscow where he was invited to call upon the princess print ess ile he started for the palace home of princess Roman ovna hardy aroused unaccountable jealousy of its ills korean boy by announcing that lie he was going to till all on the princess ile he engaged a cabman who drove him to a largo large house on a poorly poorly lighted street after entering the home u hardy discover eit that it was a re resort 0 rt of who supposed he be was felix hutin hulln come to tell tail them of a powerful explosive lie ha had discovered the real hulln arrived and denounced hardy as an impostor t or the nihilists nihilisms lists determined to kill gs hardy a ly in order to protect themselves finding an unloaded revolver in his overcoat coat pocket he pointed it at hulls Ilu lins bomb which lay on the table and swore to blo blow them all up together it if they touched touched him holding the nihilists nihilisms lists at bay hardy started to leave the room when n tho rol police ice were heard at the outer floor door iu hulln n 1 threw brew hi hla bomb killing several policemen the nihilists nihilisms lists ald and bauch baruch r t the 0 jew suddenly appeared find and led 1 lardy hardy to tile the cellar haruch conducted hardy through an underground pa passage to another house from which he boldly emerged and returned to hit his hotel hardy visited the princess contributed to the fund for the relief of the victims ot of the nihilists nihilisms lists ile he navo gave more than romanoff had the tha latler entering the room openly insulted him Itoman Ro manon ort struck hardy who challenged chal him to a duel TI ilio e russian accepted preparations for tor the duel were made the princess asu asked eri hardy to spire spare Roma Iloma life hardy purposely missed romanoff but was himself wounded hardy was waa placed in the hospital lie HB sent his servant nt to the c duel seene scene for foi a cuff button of ro ma offs s which lie purposely shut shot off rither rather than violate the princess wish this he be sent to her hei CHAPTER murder and mystery hardy was able to leave tho the hospital on february the first and return to his quarters at the hotel where he was much more comfortable for the hospitals of moscow are interior to those of other european cities of equal size he was pale and weak but his appetite was good and he be was vas gaining strength rapidly though lie he hail had come off second best in the duel to all appearances pe arances yet his countenance had taken on a look riot not in any way characteristic act of the man who has been beaten or cowed by punishment there was something new in his eyes and there theio was an expression about his mouth that suggested rather the man who has fought a mental fight and won in his conversations conversa tlona with wang he avoided all mention elther cither of the princess or of her cousin ills his only desire was to close up the business in moscow and get back bach to as soon as possible get back to the warehouses and the gre great tit wat water r highway that led eastward to the pac pacific ocean to that frontier of the vast russian empire that lies close to korea and scowls across the japan sea at nippon and its hive of angry buzzing bees in the preparations for departure the korean boy displayed a competency and assiduity that were avero a rp revelation even to hardy ile he super intended the shipment to of largo large orders of goods he made valuable suggestions ho he worked till all hours of the night relieving his principal of the labor of correspondence and bookkeeping in addition he was a cheerful and even amusing companion whose brain was fertile in delicti te little attentions that made hardys enforced detention in the hotel less irksome meantime Ne antime letters from emery and other advices advises were insistent to the effect that war was inevitable on the morning ot of the ath wang came into the office and laid a paper down before hardy pointing without a word to a 1 double leaded article with scare headlines head lines JAPAN ENRAGED hen NIINI MINISTER LEAVES petersburg the in a fit ot of rage withdraws count cint kurono from the russian capital peppery yellow people unable to conduct civilized diplomatic negotiations thel the rears calm and dignified course hardy glanced through the article artial which set forth at length t the he russian governments t righteous course as alleged by the writer and the hotheaded childish and unwar ran table demands of the islanders well he commented even this does not mean war russia will simply wait she has always been wait ing and the japanese must strike the first fl lr t blow it if they want war walt wait and see was wang s only rep reply I 1 y it was only two days later that hardy became aware that cometh something ing extraordinary had happened toward evening the city was seized with ex cit ement some great some terrible news was in the air men livien wore were talking excitedly in the corridors of the hotel groups were gathering in the streets hoarsely shouting wang was out I 1 so hardy rang for a bellboy and asked him what was the matter matter cried the boy the japanese have captured port arthur they have murdered christians if anns they have sunk the whole russian fleet treacherously falsely in the night the czar will send a great army and hill every cursed japanese on earth I 1 am going ivan sov is going we are all going curse the japanese my god exclaimed hardy AS tile the excited boy left slamming the door they are at it in earnest and the japanese have struck hard this means war indeed it if the russian navy has been destroyed it means a long war wang will be wild at this moment the korean entered but to hardys hardy s surprise ho be was riot not carried away by excitement there was a hectic spot on each yellow cheek and his eyes were burning but lio lie w was s self contained well wang said hardy you were right after all and the japanese have attacked I 1 have heard some very wild rumors dumois have you learned anything definite yes replied wang what seem to be reliable reports have arrived the mikado InI s fleet last night attacked the russian ships at port arthur abild sank the and the two of the heaviest battle ships in the czars azars navy and tho the a cruiser the russians are very indignant naturally but they should save their feelings the japanese have only be 11 gun within two weeks after the breaking out of the war during which time many disastrous blows were struck at the naval prestige of russia hardy was ready for the long railway journey b back ac k to wang secured a first farst class compart merit for his master and second class accommodations for himself and the two drove to the great terminal sta tion which commodious building they found crowded with officers of every rank military officials and red cross crois nurses hastening to vladivostok and tile the front among these hardy noticed the gal milt lant towering form of doris boris romanoff attired in officers cap and cloak the prince was surrounded by it a group of officers with whom he was talking ile ho noticed hardy and gave him a look of hate tire the american turned ills his eyes quickly away and busied himself with identifying his baggage and get ting it aboard on the morning of the third day out from moscow the prince was found murdered in ills his compartment ile he w was Is lying peacefully sleeping in ills his berth the last long sleep with a slen der stil letto sticking in his heart CHAPTER wang as a witness this tragic occurrence occasioned tremendous excitement on the train which was stopped at the next station and surrounded by a band of cossacks here it was kept for three days until a squad of police and detectives tec tives could be hurried to the scene from moscow numerous arrests were made and many of the gers gera were questioned separately wang was one of these examined lie he was taken into a small bate bare room on the second floor of the station I 1 where sat a shrewd old man at a pine little table ile he was flanked by two younger officers while a stenographer pen in hand bent over a writing pad your name Is ia wang s salil ifil the die officer it Is wang what just wang what la is your national nationality I 1 ly 1 1 I am a korean you are in the employ of the alleged american frederick courtland Courtia coin hand nd hardy 1 I am in the employ of tho the american frederick Fieder lck courtland hardy up be careful sir do not bo be insolent do not attempt to amend the expressions of the court make a note there witness very intelligent and Inc inclined lillea to be insolent goult got it down very well how flow do you know that he la Is an american americana 9 Be because chuse he ha says he be Is oil oh all ah very well tell us what you know of the duel which was fought on january 8 between this al lebed american hardy and his high ne the prince boris romanes speak th the artith truth or it will be tho the worse for you 1 I 1 know nothing of tho the duel which your honor alluded to as having taken place replied wang the boy showed not the slightest sign of fear tits ills yel low face was flushed lie he held his head high and looked the judge defiantly antly in the eyes you know nothing of it ita roared the latter do not attempt to deceive the court we know kno more than you think did not this hardy tell you ou that he had fought a duel with hla his highness ile he told me also that ho he was art an amer lean replied wang and since your honor intimates that his word la is unreliable make another note witness insolent did he be or did lie not tell you that such a duel had been fought lie ile lid did all ali lie he did that lie ho was seriously wounded in that duel as a result of ills his highness superior coolness and mark mansilp mansh nian ship lp we know we also are arc acquainted quain ted with the causes of said duel that his highness was obliged to chastise this hardy haidy for presumption and insolence and that it was in accordance with tho request of the he princess his cousin that his highness shot him all this we know you must tell us what threats of vengeance the wounded man inan breathed out against the prince none at all your honor absolutely none at all replied wang turning way station facing the desolate snow snoa covered plains in the instance distance was a 0 miserable peasant village with thatched roofs the train the police all the passengers tho the mortal remains of the murdered prince were gone the boy asked a stolid faced stationmaster what had become of 0 ills employer and the latter only shrugged hla his shoulders and turned away wang wane entered the station allon sl sat down on a bench and thought for a long time then lie he came out on the ilia platform and walked up tip and down for an hour for two hours after which lie he entered tho the station anti and passed another hour on the bench though lie ho had not eaten since noon he did riot not feel eel hi hungry ingry toward midnight a man entered the ticket office opened the window and lighted a lamp wane wan 9 stepped up to the window do you expect a train he asked yes in half nn an hour going which way to Alo moscow scow illow how much Is the fare tile agent told him and the boy found that he be had enough money with him to pay for a chii third d class ticket and leave a few roubles coubles over sufficient to buy food ile he procured a ticket and when the train thundered up to the station lie he boarded it find and soon was speeding back to the muscovite capital arriving there after two days daya V NN va 0 the prince was surrounded by a group of officers pale as he saw the drift of the questions none at all but this la Is incredible we shall find means of making you s speak penk tile the truth repent repeat those threats to us find and be careful that you conceal nothing life lie not only uttered no such threats said wang but he oven even spared the worthless life of the prince w when bell he might have shot ahot harn dead this he did out of regard for the princess as lie he Is a very knightly and perfect gentleman lie ile shot off roman ons cuff button which lie sent bent to her as proof of his wonderful skill and of how he employed it on that occasion A pretty story this laughed the judge do you not think so gentlemen mena iloth both gentlemen gentleman thought exactly as did their chief 1 I my myself belt insisted wang went to the place of meeting at clr hardys request and ana picked up tip the cuff button which I 1 gave into the hand of the princess who will I 1 have no doubt corroborate my statement the judge looked sharply at wang for several moments and the boy returned the stare defiantly deu antly 11 lock the witness up tip again he commanded and the order was obeyed wang was kept in n close confinement for four days at the end of which time he was released and informed that nothing further was required of him by the police who doubtless regarded him as an unsatisfactory w wit it ness lie ile found himself standing 1 alone on the platform of a small rail and three nights of agonizing suspense during which the ilia ponderous train seemed to him to crawl like a giant caterpillar over the vast stretches e s 0 of f virgin white he found himself again in the great station