THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN IVAN KORAVITCH.

LATE OF THE IMPERIAL RUSSIAN ARMY.

BY VICTOR L. WHITECHURCH.

VI. HOW THE CAPTAIN WAS ENTERTAINED BY A CHINESE

MANDARIN.

Railway southward through Manchuria. Oh yes, we wanted an outlet-what do you call it? We wished for expansion. Well, you also have wished for expansion, and have obtained it-all over the world. Yes?

CAPTAIN IVAN KORAVITCH Railway, which enabled her to smoked his little brown Rus- continue her Trans-Siberian sian cigarette reflectively. But his eyes were alert and shining, and every now and again he twisted his moustache, and a little smile hovered over his face. He finished his cigarette, helped himself to another from the box on the table in front of him, and began to talk. Mention had been made of the strong footing which Russia had succeeded in effecting in Manchuria before she went to war with Japan, and those present expected the captain to have something to say on the subject.

Ah, my friends, I am only a soldier. I cannot talk much about politics; it is not my business. Yes? But I think we were very clever. It was owing to the financial policy of M. de Witte that Russia, as a guarantor, enabled China to borrow money at 4 instead of 5 per cent. That led to the establishment of the RussoChinese Bank; and when one bases one's policy on good finance, success in other matters often arrives. For hence it was that Russia obtained the concession of the East Chinese

Of course it meant that many soldiers went to Manchuria. One cannot obtain expansion without soldiers. Other people-like the Chinese

who do not wish themselves to be expanded by foreignersmust be made to agree by soldiers. Yes, and it was very funnee. We did not always call them soldiers. We called them railway-guards. It was, for example, necessary when we promised to evacuate Manchuria to increase there our railway-guards. So their numbers were fixed at thirty thousand men, and they were recruited from the regular troops. It only meant putting green shoulder straps and collarpatches on to a man's tunic, and there you had a 'railwayguard' instead of a 'soldier.' Splendid!

"For a time I was attached

able, but also companies of disbanded Chinese soldiers, who had previously fought against us.

Ah yes, many of them were rather bandits than soldiers; robbers, who would sometimes give much trouble. Some of them roamed the country in small groups, and would suddenly swoop down on a town or village to plunder. So it was not always safe to go unarmed.

to these railway-guards. The the most part quiet and peace-
line connecting Port Arthur
with Harbin possessed depots
for them about every fifteen
miles, some of them very large.
At Liao-yang, for example, we
had barracks to hold three
thousand men. At Mukden
we even used the bricks of the
wall of the Chinese Temple of
Earth to help construct bar-
racks for twice that number.
That is the way we evacuated
Manchuria in 1902. Splendid!
"I was stationed the next
year in a leetle town on the
Harbin railway called Feng-
Chung. It was not one of
our big barracks. I only had
about a hundred guards in
my command, and there was
not very much to do. There
was also not very much with
which to make amusements in
one's spare time. My sub-
altern, a youth named Basil
Maximo vitch, sometimes rode
with me on horseback, or we
played at cards. There were
two engineers attached to the
railway, but they were not very
companionable.

It was one day that I was walking down a narrow street in Feng-Chung that I heard much noise and shouting. A couple of dozen or so of these wandering Chinese had come into the town, and had met the sister of the missionary, Miss Nora Linthorpe. It did not look pleasant for her when I arrived. She was standing with her back to a wall, very pale, and they had surrounded her. Some of them had even drawn their long knives. Pouf! It was nothing! They were all cowards, and I had my sword and revolver. It did not take me a few minutes to effect a rescue; and I think one or two of them had to bind up some flesh wounds. I, of course, escorted her to her brother's house. She, poor young lady, was glad to have me walk with her, for she had received much fright. And it was thus I came to know the Rev. Frederick Linthorpe-the first priest of your Church I had ever met.

his sister.
stand that she was a very
pretty girl, and I was young
and not bad-looking. Also,
because she thought I had
saved her life-it was, as I
said, nothing, I think she ad-
mired me very much."

And Captain Ivan Koravitch twisted his moustache and preened himself. Then he shrugged his shoulders.

You must under- would go to them who were sick; but all the time they had only obtained one convert to their religion, a Chinese named Chang-Yung, who was a servant in the establishment of a Mandarin, Li Ting-Fang, who lived in a big house just outside the town. Chang-Yung was grateful because Mr Linthorpe and his sister had been kind to his father when the latter was dying of a slow and painful sickness. And the Chinaman, as you know, has much filial love for his father. Therefore, I suppose, partly to repay the kindness, he had consented to be baptised. The only convert! And yet they went on with their work, and did not complain. Me ! I could not understand, but I admired-what is it you call it !-yes !-their pluck.

"One cannot say what might have happened, but I-I was a soldier, and I had no thoughts of marrying. Also, Nora Linthorpe had a fiancé in England, and I suppose she thought it was her duty to remember him, though-if I had chosen -bah I did not make love to her but I have thought she loved me a leetle. Yes!

"But that is not the story. I told Mr Linthorpe it was very dangerous for his sister to go about alone, or even to reside in Feng-Chung, and that he should send her back to England; but although he agreed she must be careful, he saidand she also that she had her work to do with him, and duty must come first. Splendid!

"Oh yes, splendid! But I was very sorry for them, my friends. I, too, was a man accustomed to duty, but I knew it is not always easy to go on doing one's duty if there is no success. Mr Linthorpe and his sister had lived in Feng-Chung for a year and a half to evangelise the Chinese. But with what success? Certainly they had a leetle school for some children, and people

"Mr Linthorpe-I thought sometimes he should have been a soldier and not a priest. He was a very fine young man. He could shoot, and box with his fists-yes-and play cards, though he would never play for money, which I could not understand. We became great friends, and from him I learned much about your country before I came to reside here after many years.

"Of course I made inquiries about the men who had attacked Miss Linthorpe; and I heard a very curious thing. It was my serjeant told me.

"These men,' he said, 'they have not gone away, my captain!'

"No? Where are they?'