Show 67 Q ale 1 SYNOPSIS Fre freadrick atrIck k hardy a boston society inan lost ills his wealth was jilted by y it a girl mid anti put iq hy a friend to take of nn an american trading 1 company ditore in russia on his jour journey ricy tapan he met stapleton neville nelll out 1 I an englishman they agreed to to so ro to Bether to ituria ot of sua M filc olin they were times ma ted I 1 ly tile the ja japanese hardy war a arrested nod found upon kils birvon were papers allowing of lup jap torta tort bardi hardy was proven guil guillies ties on oil at train e in mit int t alonie sano daughter of 0 it a JP JAP merchant er cliant in nevilles shoes jup found pictures of bolth proving him to be I 1 a u spy ilard hardy v I 1 i 1 I tor for lutin oil a on a steamer tc amer w which w was 9 shortly a berward lie ite wag ws 8 res curil 0 liy a Ilu on reaching VIDAI he was wa well treated pil ite 11 for 01 Sl liera m ting Illi iLeaH t in n the tha train hardy boarded a ves vessel vesi i for A amur mur lurdy sl iwed the ine princess lill 1114 tio pertness am LL a rifle shot the anif r was wa stranded the princess anti and her bior I 1 ald were attached by chane irardy hardy caved laved their ls ali the ernoe as thanked hardy 1 for hl heroism M ady arad e upon pon alit craft hardy sav lt theli their alef 11 renown were ii orlef liann tl tha ruo hacins dacks an attempt was wan nada ad to board the vessel alit ahin Z lt hira re ryu lacil a eirts it Il ardia tude for the 4 it a nips menger sent for kielp IMIS v io to a cr cross on tin to put nn end to tho the awful tor hini wit stanka out t of 11 artil ry tricking ilia hla alwn wn life in lifs ills h liandi ands CHAPTER I 1 A perilous mission during all this time the forest foiest clr anres f es were increasing inci easing in intensity and api ap ending rending with great rapidity vividly red and narrow lanes of 0 flame ran zigzag to tile vater mateis edge like streams ati earns of 0 fire Il SIon onster designs were worked out on the hill hillsides sides in fire notably nn an immense heart anil and in places where the vegetation was sparse the slopes were spotted with tiny jets of flame ily by mid afternoon the heat on the was vas almost intolerable and the discomfort caused to the oies eyes from the smarting amolie was great yet there was no longer tiny any fear that those on oil board would suffocate or 01 perish from the intensity of the heat beat matters clatters were undoubtedly at their worst and it was possible to live to breathe out there in the middle of tile the river thero there was nas no danger of the boat itself catching firmand ire fire and the iund ind which was coming straight down the ho stream brought coolness and life with it from the wide siberian plains plain As hardy flardy stood watching the scene that night the princess came up tip to film dim and said we haap nothing to fear firca the chinese I 1 fancy they must have gone away they must think we are dead it Is most probable pio bable replied hardy but I 1 fear that it will be some time before we shall be able to take toi to the road road at the military station citation below said the princess there la Is a telegraph connecting with the one above it Is possible for a boat of shallow draft to got get down the river to a little alstan distance e back the general asked tile the men if one of their number would not volunteer to carry cany a dispatch to the ahe station but I 1 am ashamed to say t that no one has haa responded they are deterred te r d by the dreadful fate of poor sten ka 1 1 I will got gol cried hardy ask the general to lot let me go I 1 can keep keel to to the middle of the stream till I 1 have passed the fires either wading or swimming down the a swift it current the fires cannot extend more than a mile or so down the river a distance soon passed over and then I 1 will take to tile the highway I 1 am a foreigner and it if captured shall not be in so great danger as a russian it Is not a difficult undertaking I 1 am sure I 1 shall get through the princess left him without a word but returned ten minutes later at L r smiling amiling sadly and shaking tier her head it is as I 1 thought she said tile the general refuses ile he says it would be an eternal disgrace to tile russian arms it if a foreigner for should undertake this thing ile he Is making one more appeal to tile men ile he Is calling them sheep japanese poltroons 1 j I had hoped said hardy sadly badly that you people would no longer regard me quite in tile light of a foreigner As far at leasty as the people on tle boat are concerned I 1 have tried to earn the hie right to be counted oneff one of you if I 1 liae have done anything to merit your own regard personally I 1 ask you as sn in especial favor to prepare this dispatch tor for me find and let me bo off I 1 tell tall you again that I 1 shall certainly go with or without it if f you yon refuse I 1 shall on the instant the river and start on my journey i 1 I beg or of you iou not to put lint it in that way replied the princess it if you put it in that way you know I 1 cannot refuse I 1 hope the occasion occa ilon may arlie arise shirt p lay day that will ft 11 allow tile me in some poma way to 0 o show allow in a befitting manner my great and fasting gratitude to you hut now you ou are taking an unfair ad tage lage you are aie seeking to place rae me under tinder still greater obligations to you 1 I zak ask for no gratitude replied hardy 1 I aill simply seeking a favor rn accommodation froth from yo boj I 1 am begging you iou to write a few lines for mb icib does your lour highness still refuse well then goodby good by and god be with youl it if we do not meet again 1 I beg you rou sometimes to 6 think of me ine as one nho he who goa goodbye dby 1 ile he laid one inq hand eilind on the rail but she extended her arm and detained him stay she whispered 1 I will write the dispatch tor for you ste she I 1 went to her cabin and hardy made his few hurried preparations for departure do which consisted simply in swallowing a few mouthfuls mouth fula fuls of 0 za bouska in filling his flask with vodka and tit slipping into his rocket pocket it a flat bottle ei empty lipty but tightly corked when lie he returned to the deck lie he found tho the princess awaiting him with tho dispatch ready leady hardy wound it into a tight cylinder and poked it linto the bottle which lie corked and put into his pocket thank you ou ho he said simply to the princess she extended ot ended tier her hand band and lie he took 14 t holding it but afraid to look into tier her eyes it was an honest hand band that held field his own in a strong warm pres pros sure 1 I shall prak for your safety rarefy she mur inured all the time till I 1 see or hear from you again ile ho raised the liand to lila its lips then climbed lightly over the ruil rall and dropped into the river tho water reached nearly neaily to his arin armelta pits at this place ile he did not look back but throwing himself on his face swam return which they are certain to do when the tiro tire subsides there said tho the general youlia you have ve your com commands mandi from an authority which you ought to respect if you do not heed mine I 1 shall have another talk with the tha men I 1 am sure they are ashamed ashamed of themselves by tills this time it will mill be b unnecessary lor for you to trouble yourself further about the milt ter said the princess blushing slightly and looking down for a a man some one has already all endy gone Ra manoff started violently and fl sod Pl hla his eyes ees on tier her who was it if asked the general the princess threw tier hei head lick back and regarded reg aided him defiantly the american she replied ten thousand devils exclaimed romanoff the tha meddlesome dog hut but I 1 refused to lot him go eo said the general it Is a dh disgrace grace to the bussian name 1 I 1 take all the response bill ty solid bold tho bravely bra veli llo asked we rue as a favor to write wilto the dispatch for him and I 1 did so bo ile he has haa placed me under certain obligations and I 1 felt I 1 could riot not refuse and I 1 suppose sneered Ron romanoff ianoff that if he were tie to ask aak you lor for a kins 0 N I 1 lt Q VAN 5 I 1 11 A regarded him defiantly antly the american she with ea baay y strokes the swift current sweeping him rapidly downward soon his knees touched the soft sand and he be was abin to walk for some distance lie ile had not gone far ere lie came on a stranded and abandoned raft and lie rolled a piece of timber from tills which litch he guided to the deep current ho was glad to lie ile down again anti and float upon this bit ot of wood letting the water cover ill ills body for lie li was coming coining to a narrower part of the stream find the air was very hot bot cl CHAPTER apter Roma wooing 11 1 tell you I 1 can go I 1 can get through somehow men have gone greater gi eater distances worse wounded than I 1 it was Ilon ianoff who was speaking lie he batup sat up an anil turned facing tile tho general as though lio lie would rise ilia his wound hid had stiffened and the pain consequent on oil the exertion caused him to turn vale pale but he did not wince ile he lying in the dining room loom on one of th upholstered cush cushions loni that extended around three of it the current Is at least six els tulles miles an hour lie he insisted and wath something thin light to cling to I 1 could boat the entire distance the heat was vaa stifling and tile tho port holes were avre milky with smoke at tills this momen tt tte princess entered dont excite yourself boris she said anoint ily ay or you will neutra lite all ti clr good effects of my nursing I 1 think it ungrateful of to ile HP still and let me show what I 1 can do and leave jou you here heie to steeve or be bur busied ed up or perhaps he be carried 03 vf the v ten they you would think it your duty to grant even that your gratitude no doubt will bo be undying you forget yourself sirl sir crid cri d Roni noman anoyna ovna tin turning ruing on him with kith flashing eyes you presume too much on your relationship ono one more such stich speech end and I 1 shall cancel your name from the list of my speaking ac Gen erni I 1 await your sentence I 1 beg that you will not pass over my offense lightly 1 0 oil this Is till nil nonsense growled the general gen cial you know that I 1 cannot punish you would not if I 1 could it ono one of the men hail had done this I 1 should know what to do with him lint but no way has ever befit been devised for managing an unruly woman or preventing her having tier lier way with tills this ungracious sp eeb he be turned and left the room the princess gazed after him sadly this then was her punishment the brave I 1 0 old id genera generals lR displeasure apol and it was not easy to bear 11 choose to forget your extraordinary mini remark ark boris site she said sitting down by her cousin colis ln 1 I shall leitem ber that you fire are wounded and that yon must be suffering buffering here in lih his hol ho smoky allt allf sympathize with yr irritation too and a nd think it nob noble leof 0 you ou I 1 would much rattier rather that a russian had gone and she hild tier her hand soothingly on hla his why did you not encourage my going then lie as kel sti sullen 1 I believe with the general that you are unable it to go that tile the effort would almost certainly haap resulted in your death and you dont want ino ine to dle dip I 1 suppose burpoe Bui poe you would be b desolated deno by my re for sphere norla boris do dont 1 it to sarcastic of t couraw urse 1 I 1 should be ai as call it it if anything happened tu tt you zabe tit a said eagerly you know inow why I 1 endure it so ill w when lien others pe perform services liea for you you know that I 1 would any task that might win will your regard your love that I 1 would gladly face tiny danger in your behalf beli alf and now that this this American bas baa saved your life I 1 could kill him for it yuu you did not want my life saved then thena she asked se sweetly etly oh you me are enough to ti try the temper of an augell you know what I 1 wean i did riot not want to do it you are under no obligation to lital him for saving your life you know that there Is not a man in our circle of acquaintance who would nut consider it the tha greatest luck in the world to have a cliance chance to brave danger for you and that such an opportunity should have come coma to tills alila ile be generous noels it if you wish wih to win iby iny esteem interrupted tho the princess and dont bo be unreasonable tit in your envy you have braved danger for mp me rind are aie now flow wounded lighting fighting in my mohair bo liall and I 1 ant am nursing you can you riot not imagine that there fire those ahu would envy your present position you are not grateful even for the favors that you tin do receive think of your wound which la Is really quite serious sc ilona well ull then you be serious for once said It omanoff smiling in ill of himself and tell mo life that you love lova me surely you cannot doubt my devotion 00 oo do you iou think it quite quit fair to bring that up here she asked when lien you know that aliat you have me lue at A sad v antano an tago hut but you always find excuse for riot not talking to me about it you always evade tile me in some way hut but I 1 nm am wit nut a man lie cried fiercely to bo evaded or escaped I 1 love loe you as only it 11 romanoff can lovo love I 1 shall not give up suing ailing for your hiir liand while I 1 live and i woe oe to the mail who crosses my path oh if 11 I 1 could only fight for you on I 1 would wade through seas of blood but i would have youl oil I 1 would havo have you yen Roman ovila shuddered but blie camo nearer loving him at that In stInt than at any other moment of her life it if you will not talk of these mat tells now will you oi atler after awe e gt get to fo scow perhaps she aliv replied softly hut but tia about japan unless it irritates yc r i wound to talk vicy there to I 1 tell I 1 passed myself off uis ag an englishman and sounded bounded nil all classes of people I 1 took ook note of tile the popular afef feeling ling of the strength of the national defenses and resources and made alari plan s of the principal pat and sea nea up ap all the tb time I 1 was wag thinking or you ou and wearing my henrt out for another leht eight of your yost exclaimed the princess this it if most jabol the bundi tlona 1 ot of birx there I 1 inozu binau and 1 Z won did you arroyo at py ilat 10 htwa st wa I 1 became positively convinced that the japanese mean to make war on oil russia Ittis sla that no diplomatic lug ing can postpone the struggle much longer the whole nation to a man to to IL a woman to id a child Is 14 united against us ua by the bonds of the most fanatic hatred their population comprises no classes no disaffected races they aro are a milt in this mutter the war will be one to the death mid and they will light until too the last man mail I 1 killed lill led I 1 concluded moreover thab ta they aro are riot not a foe coo to be despised they tire are a formidable st sta sea a power and they can throw largo large find and well equipped argites into manchuria and korea within a very tow few weeks after tho the first blow blo la Is struck I 1 shall advise the little father to begin pouring troops luto into the far east and to strengthen tho the defenses and garrison of port arthur immediately I 1 shall ask to be sent seat to the front with the first troops tl oops that go ot of course you will my bravo brave cousin cou aln cried the princess admiringly and you oil will come back front tile wa war r coverett cove coverer reit with glory find and I 1 shall be proud of youl but I 1 can scarcely believe that japan Is so formidable tit an adversary as aa you say you will seo see replied komanoff no Roina manoff noly with conviction convict lon well let tier her |