THE MURGAB BRANCH. 175 



bling politicians at Westminster, and Merve was left 

 to her fate. Nor had she very long to wait, for the 

 expedition of the disguised Russian officer, AlikhanofF, to 

 Merve in 1882 was followed by another of a similar 

 nature in the early days of 1884, when England had 

 her hands conveniently full elsewhere, which resulted in 

 the fall of the place with the firing of scarcely a shot. 

 And that is how it happens that Merve is to-day a 

 Russian town, and an important cantonment for Rus- 

 sian troops. 



Beyond the zone of light afforded by the station 

 lamps all was dark, silent, and mysterious, and then 

 suddenly out of the darkness and silence of the night 

 loomed a ghostly engine speeding from the south. 

 Here was material for another train of thought, for 

 that line to the south runs to the Afghan frontier, 

 and is as jealously guarded from foreign gaze as is 

 the Tibetan oracle of Lhassa. The Russian advanced 

 post at Kushk corresponds exactly to our own at 

 Chaman, and without a doubt Russian rails could be 

 laid to Herat as soon as ever our own could be to Kan- 

 dahar. It is whispered that the terminus of the line 

 is to be found inside the walls of a heavily armed fort, 

 garrisoned by a number of troops which at least reaches 

 four figures, and with barrack accommodation for even 

 more. There is also said to be a light railway running 

 over the twelve miles between Kushk post and Chehel 

 Duckteran, while it is asserted that the length of 

 rails stored within the fort is greater than is the 

 distance to Herat. Some day, when Afghanistan as 

 such has ceased to exist, here will lie the direct over- 

 land route to India — but not yet. 



After Merve, peace again ; and when I wake up in 

 the morning miles upon miles of sand ! Sand as far 

 as the eye can see — and a great deal farther. Parallel 



