czar. They wear the blue cap and the white epaulettes with their
ordinary uniform, and drill under the orders of Russian officers.

A wooden bridge, fifty yards long, crosses the river. It is practicable
not only for foot-passengers, but for trains, and telegraph wires are
stretched above its parapets.

On the opposite bank is the administrative town, which contains a
considerable number of civil servants, wearing the usual Russian cap.

In reality the most interesting place to see is a sort of annexe, a
Tekke village, in the middle of Merv, whose inhabitants have retained
the villainous characteristics of this decaying race, the muscular
bodies, large ears, thick lips, black beard. And this gives the last
bit of local color to be found in the new town.

At a turning in the commercial quarter we met the commercials, American
and English.

"Mr. Ephrinell," I said, "there is nothing curious in this modern Merv."

"On the contrary, Mr. Bombarnac, the town is almost Yankee, and it will
soon see the day when the Russians will give it tramways and gaslights!"

"That will come!"

"I hope it will, and then Merv will have a right to call itself a city."

"For my part, I should have preferred a visit to the old town, with its
mosque, its fortress, and its palace. But that is a little too far off,