| Show wi nv 1906 7 SYNOPSIS Irre deock hardy a f bionillo 11 wn inadi ilia lost hid it wealth was wai jilted 1 by a gill and nt by u n filand to tako of tit an american ii alton trading COMP acore in ili ituma iduma on hla his journey through j jantti N ii net mot stipple lun sup p un all th thy thiry y to no go title tit lm to io lic ti a 0 of 8 BUS Is climis they wore evere Bi loveral veral times 1 by the japanese hardy was waa an it pitted anil and found m upon on hla him p alir raon n weir paper allowing limps gnap of jup jar foran fo arts liardo was pron guiltless on a amin he erchant nna in aliina Alii nr sano hann daughter of a jup jap merchant ni in nevilla allan h lap jap found vc turpa of forts brov I 1 tig billni to it lr bt a hesslan u n spy hardy 1 for kin sla on a which was a wreck j shortly a berward it HP was r acu d by a russian steamer on reaching madl he ha wits wa well if Us started CHAPTER VIL VII Zak the russian steamer that took hardy into vladivostok was an iron tub of the tramp variety bailet va ilet arid and not a soul on board could speak a word of any tongue ever heard before by the amer mer lean ican ile he soon became aware how ever that the red faced burly captain and his two off leers meant to be kind to him arid and that their idea dd of alness consisted principally tit in retting getting him to eat arid and drink as much arid and as aa frequently as aa possible after vainly attempting to converse with him and learning only that lie he was american the captain led hlin to the alie dining room arid and introduced him to ono one of the great institutions of russia the za a lunch flinch of hors d oeuvres washed down with much strong drink at one end of the room near the side lioard ioard a table was set spread with dishes of sardines gardels sar dels caviar chunks of pickled fish sandwiches and shrimp in bottles the captain poured p 0 out two generous bumpers of a white liquid into glasses handed one to haid hardy clinked and drained the contents of the other at a gulp har hair dy sv swallowed allowed the liquid and the tears came into his eyes lie ile neady atran stran aled lie he looked about for water but in vain he was to learn soon that water for drinking arid and washing pur poses Is the one thing most difficult of cf all to obtain in ho russia kouski Zak a lasted ott off arid and on oil for about an hour by combining the utmost firmness with evident good nature hardy man aged to pull through without getting drunk thereby accomplishing a feat quite remarkable in ra a foreigner tore ligner ac hepting russian hospitality the next aie tt afternoon ader noon they entered the magnificent harbor 0 of vladivostok passing the high rock lock crowned with a lighthouse that stands as a sentinel at its in mouth out tile the city not visible till the last moment burst suddenly on Il harda ardys view arid and gave him a very favorable impression of the country into which lie he had come to live and to retrieve it if possible his shattered fortunes heie crowning tile the hills hilis that dominate the harbor was vas a mod ern european cil of houses many of them several stories in height evidently built of brick arid and stone alone A cou pie of men of war very trim in their white paint bellies be les numerous Kious mer chant vessels flying the russian flag lay at anchor ir in the bay while sev ev eral chinese sampa iia arid and a junk or two drifting about bore witness that here the extremes of the ha east and the west meet and overlap two or three of the sampans sam samp pans ins indeed floated up tit to 11 hardys ardys ship as slie she cast ast anchor and their long cued owners made clarner I 1 ous application to lo cany any 0 one no ashore who io might wish to go hardy had arrendy picked out the celestial whose appearance host best suited him wondering whether he would take japanese mono money when lie he noticed a steam launch rapidly approaching and a cheerful voice balled him Is that an american Ameil can on board there yes irardy baid shouted back thrill ing with sudden delight at the sound of his how did you know ny by the cut of your cloth clothia clot lips Pa where Is your baggage 7 in ili my cabin all AH right sat said ilie HIP man in th the e launch ill have it brought out let get in hero here and ill take albore A few words of gruff russian tu to tile the captain and Ilar hardys dyB trunks arid and bag gage gaga were brought out and five alve minutes later he be was flying ashore in the launch of the american muil can trading cum com pany As ho he was leaving the captain dashed up tip arid and wrung bli land hand anxiously ile he wants to know explained flardy leaning over tile the mil if I 1 want more 1 ive e had zal al enoi enough igli to 0 o last me a what shall I 1 tell him tell him ny byet et came the reply mind and the A merican american shook ohp hands of the captain ind and ills his two kindhearted kind hearted officers vigorously repeating tape many niini times neeti apt nep CHAPTER vill VIII enter the princess 1 I want to go to the american con still hind hardy as soon goon as I 1 land and then I 1 should like to get located in n it a bote bold till I 1 cn can catch the first on steamer up tip tile lip river its fortunate for mo me you came out to take lake me off for my knowledge of russian Ilus I 1 lg is as yet rather limited you can start up the river day after tomorrow to morrow replied tile the vladivostok agent on the alexsay which goes as far as you w will ill he be quite comfortable on her and will be likely to ret get a room all to yourself as I 1 I 1 understand she Is not crowded that ft ill suit me perfectly said hardy 1 I see no reason for lingering herr here fascinating as the town looks any longer than la Is necessary dy by the way volunteered the jtb othor other you will have quite a distinguished gula lied traveling companion it if you go BO on the alexsay the princess ro man ovna who has haa been here visiting her relative gen Roman homatoff Ho manoff ciff she has made a sensation in the garrison society here ashes a stunning looking woman women do not interest me ma re being aboard the train started slowly on its mile journey to CHAPTER IX into elbara the journey into was waa begun that vast mysterious region whose very name has come to be synonymous with all that Is most dreaded by the human race exile eternal farewells the clanking of chains over endless frozen roads tile tho knouft desp despair nir nil all the horrors ot of a living death hardy sat eat in his compartment of one of the first class cars tt and gazed from the window eagerly scanning the landscape for some sign or evidence of the things that had given the country its sinister reputation ills his first impression as the train left vladivostok behind was a complete refutation ot 0 all preconceived notions k az N Z vt r Z s k 1 41 gracefully entered the car plied hardy 1 I cattle came here to work no not t to mingle in fashionable society and anyhow suddenly remembering his changed for fortunes at it Is not likely that a princess would become wild ly enthusiastic over a storekeeper ci the next morning hardy took his place in fit the railway train bound north through siberia for on tile amur lie he had obtained a first lasa class compartment arid and sat eat waiting malting for the train to pull out on schedule tima eight tho the hour arrived but the train did not move A quarter past half past and batill there were no signs ot of departure par turi at last impatient lie he arid and stepped out into the long narrow hall that rail lan the entire length of tile car ar an intelligent looking russian was pacing up ann ana down clown anil hint him hardy asked in fit the best arnch at hla ls c command on and what la Is the lie matter 1 why do wo we not start on oil attend replied the russian they are waiting for the princess princ tsa ito ho manov iia ah hero here she comes now tho the american looked from the window A droshky was driving up and in it sat cat a tall slender blender and exquisitely wor i inan rian fairly in fit costly flowers dowels that tl at filled the cari ingo and N ere piled filled beside her on th ijo seat iler race face was of the purest rim type tier complexion was mart clous her eyes were wem a laughing blue ind ano hair was wag of the color of ripe wheat hi by love JOP hardy but ashes a 3 and 1 a l beauty too 00 oo the princess took look plenty of time for lapir adieu i after which she languidly and gracefully grace full entered the car the officers brought her flowers in to tier her and to the ho platform where here they stood in an adoring arid and sorrowful group their caps cap in their hands handsy and then her highness the princess there were no convicts anywhere in ill sight bight no nelds fields of lie lee or 01 snow in stead he was ai journeying on a pleas ant summers div day through it vividly green prairie wide its as the eye could reich readi ahert f fitt t cuttle cattle waded up tit to till their knees in laibl s it grass glass and oil yellow dandelions as large its as tea maucere baui mau era cers inc fierce tiger dillem swayed and nodded by tile the in ili the balmy breeze ite ile had ex ported d to find a boine t I 1 11 e thing dif different Terent boruchow Boi roni chow in the as eject of albera itself something glafa I 1 and forbidding yet this save for co tile the greater ei eater of the vegetation ton und arid tit ohp nilon and rill laney 0 ot f the flowers might have been a B of or manitoba weary at last or of sitting hard went out into tho the long hall at ono one sid bid of the car and walked up and down here ile he found the russian who spoke french also promenading and squeezed against the wall sev oral times limes to let him pass pardon monsieur said this gentleman ns as the train stopped but we remain here bere long enough to take za bouska perhaps you feel the need I 1 or of refreshment 9 do you ou know what hat the zak is oil oh yes replied hardy laughing 1 I know what zal Is very well I 1 should indeed like some borne have you secured your lour compart ment on the alexsay Ale tsay asked the milli sian I 1 no n replied replie il idy dy why will the boat be cro cio j P I 1 hardly think so but the princess Roman ovna Is going on tier her and it is likely that all the best beat eions will have been reserved for tier her fortunately she does not seem to be traveling with much of oc a suite guile iler her ItI highness gIness v will III probably require two HO or 01 three cabins for herself a couple for tier her bag age one for each of her two maids anal one for her man and nd will she bo be given ghen all this even it the rest of us its are compelled to sleep on the decks certainly replied tho the russian hor her highness Is hor her highness hardy was about to declaim against j a government where the aristocracy enjoyed such privileges but fortunately his i french was aa not quite equal to ills his indignation and in the moment or of hesitation lie he remembered consul greenerd Gre eners warning ant am who in the world la Is the princess ria lie ho asked with n slight tinge of 0 sarcasm Barca sm lie would have liked to say who in the dickens but lie he did not know the french for the dickens the princess Rom Roman anoyna ovna explained tho the russian slin belongs to one of 0 the oldest families in tile tho empire she is a distant relative of the czar who Is my mi Imper imperial itil master and hero here ho he took hla his hat oft off she Is immense ly rich arid and has city palaces at mos cow arid and petersburg besides a country estate near the former city she la Is as wealthy weilt liy as she Is beautiful she must be very wealthy hy then sa said id if the american with conviction tho the russian sin smiled ed Alon monsieur speaks the truth he be said laid lie ile Is also like all americana very gallant ei llant when we take zako zak usha again we no will drink to the princess Roman ovna ovila with pleasure said hardy after two very comfortable nights the train bearing P cederick Court courtland laud hardy arrived about noon at kha bakovka ba on the lordly amur it had been raining and tile the low wooden sta tion resembled an ark stranded in seas beas of black mud hardy found an agent of the company awaiting him here a san franciscan c who nearly neaily fell on his neck at seeing a renow fellow countryman and hearing again the english language spoken ile he did not know that americans could become so be demonstrative ilia his goods were loaded upon a a sort of long boat upon wheels arid and without springs and were sent away i to the alexsay at its wharf two or 01 three miles distant while hardy and the agent took senta seats in a droshky and tore furiously away to the comp company anys s i store stoic over rocks and through ruts there ta is a little spice of danger attending the journey said the agent on taking leave the ship that went up attend ahead of 0 this was waa fired on by man cl brigands brigande bri gands I 1 saw several bullet holes in her side myself inneo by rifle ralle balls but I 1 hardly think you need feel much apprehension since ainee the cossacks Coa sacka destroyed deu troyed adigun anil and killed every living man mail woman and child that could not get away ill the e chinese have been pretty quiet that taught them n lesson they will not soon forget I 1 have heard board it rumored that they have been somewhat emboldened bold ened of late by japanese agitators tors who aro are working among them the japanese they tell tile me are talking of war with russia foolish popie the russians would eat cat them up japan would be a russian pro province two months after the declaration of hostilities atwould be it a pity too japan Is a picturesque country as I 1 remember it hardy laid under hla his bed that night an american rifle the property of the trading company taken by the agents advice front from the alio stores store in ile he slept soundly but had a vivid dream of tho the princess and alseme racing racene over a siberian meadow tho the one in a and the ho other in a CHAPTER X her highness smiles the trip from to nin bla occupied live days arid and was uneventful when compared with the moro exciting happenings that befell courtland hardy and ills follow passengers farther on still two or three things occurred worthy of record one at least that hardy himself regarded as epochal in ili ills his life lie he cattle caino into direct conta contact ct with tile tho princess iia and acquired a nodding acquaintance with tier her As this befell on tile tho first day out and us its she nodded to him once each day namely in the morning his good fortune brought to him four nods arid and as many very sweet smiles between kha borovka and it was perhaps fortunate that lie he could not i 7 f t xa 9 ra j hardy offered the revolver to the general and pud puddles dlos tile the mud spraying in it centrifugal shower allow er from tile bumping and whizzing tull tell him to drle drive slower blower shouted eliout cd plaidy ve laiti are o plenty ol of biln no oar on parth could make it 11 cabilan drive slow replied the agent they are the lineal descendants ants of jehu and their speed li Is n per port t of their natures natii you might a as nall try to make the albur run up till 0 ill hill that night in darkness dark nesa as black as ink and in fit a drizzling train rain hardy went on board the alexsay Alf aay to begin ills his long journey up the amur the water the agent informed him was rising owing to the recent rains unit and there would bo be little danger of ground iab ang the trip to should lio made a five days talk to her n am she might have discouraged cou raged any advances aneti anything 1 ing of this kind would have hurt ills hia pride fui for the courtland fourt land maintain the hit fiction of family faintly bority and in ili their hearth believe themselves just as good am aa anybody ns na tile old song bone says bays or of |
