Page:Ossendowski - From President to Prison.djvu/90

 CHAPTER VII

THE TREASURE AND TOLL OF THE FOREST

NE day I was sitting in my car reading the newspaper accounts of further Russian disasters, when Lisvienko entered, saluted and asked:

"May I make a report, sir?"

"Go ahead," I replied.

"Bad news, sir! I feel that I understand now whence come these assaults and constant difficulties with the hunghutzes." He came nearer and continued in a whisper:

"Every day I make the round of all the patrols. This morning, when I was riding along the bank of the Ho Lin to the new cutting, I caught the sound of shod hoofs on stones and in a moment made out a horseman riding rapidly toward the mountains. Though the man wore a Chinese cap and ma-kua-tzu (short jacket), he had below these red trousers and riding boots with spurs and carried a carbine. I am sure he was a Japanese cavalryman."

I jumped to my feet at this news and questioned his statement.

"No, sir," he answered decidedly, "I have too keen sight to have been mistaken. I have decided to follow this matter up to-day, as I remember exactly the direction the Japanese took. There are some small Chinese opium plantations in that section of the mountains and I intend to scout them out." 78