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CHAPTER YII. 



LAPUE TO USHKUL. 



On Friday, September 8, our long-lost inter- 

 preter, Platon, was viewed on the top of the 

 fells above us, and so great was our joy that 

 it required a mighty effort to put the proper 

 amount of silent, dignified rebuke into our 

 manner in receiving him. ^yith Platon as 

 guard, guide, and porter, came another brother 

 of Vassili's, a fine-looking fellow, who was 

 at once taken into our service. On gomg 

 into matters with our truant we found that, 

 though he had been a very expensive messen- 

 ger, some misdirections of mine were partly 

 to blame for it, and in the end we had obtained 

 what we most wanted — money. 



