ese insurgent chiefs there was one, a certain
Ouali-Khan-Toulla, whom I have mentioned with regard to the murder of
Schlagintweit, and who for a time had become master of Kachgaria. He
was a man of great intelligence, but of uncommon ferocity. And
Faruskiar told us an anecdote giving us an idea of these pitiless
Orientals.

"There was at Kachgar," he said, "an armorer of repute, who, wishing to
secure the favors of Ouali-Khan-Toulla, made a costly sword. When he
had finished his work he sent his son, a boy of ten, to present the
sword, hoping to receive some recompense from the royal hand. He
received it. The Khan admired the sword, and asked if the blade was of
the first quality. 'Yes,' said the boy. 'Then approach!' said the Khan,
and at one blow he smote off the head, which he sent back to the father
with the price of the blade he had thus proved to be of excellent
quality."

This story he told really well. Had Caterna heard it, he would have
asked for a Turkestan opera on the subject.

The day passed without incident. The train kept on at its moderate
speed of forty kilometres an hour, an average that would have been
raised to eighty had they listened to Baron Weissschnitzerdoerfer. The
truth is that the Chinese driver had no notion of making up the time
lost between Tchertchen and Tcharkalyk.

At seven in the evening we reach Kara Nor, to stay there fifty minutes.
This lake, which is not as extensive as Lob Nor, absorbs the waters of
the Soule Ho, coming down from the Nan Chan mountains. Our eyes are
charmed with the masses of verdure that clothe its southern bank, alive
with the flight of numerous birds. At eight o'clock, when we left the
station, the sun had set behind the sandhills, and a sort of mirage
produced by the warming of the lower zones of the atmosphere prolonged
the twilight above the horizon.

The dining car has resumed its restaurant appearance, and here is the
wedding banquet, instead of the usual fare. Twenty guests have been
invited to this railway love feast, and, first of them, my lord
Faruskiar. But for some reason or other he has declined Ephrinell's
invitation.

I am sorry for it, for I hoped that good luck would place me near him.

It occurred to me then that this illustrious name was worth sending to
the office of the _Twentieth Century_, this name and also a few lines
relative to the attack on the train and the details of the defense.
Never was information better worth sending by