New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-10
be surrounded to prevent the thief escapias.
shonM have done fhnt ix Perm. UnhappilY u

III
sborld have done thai il Persia. Unhappily fo7
myself, was In a different country now.
The station master smiled. was polite. made
note of the occurrence. said ne euld Q. nmnnicaY
with the police, took my name and address, bat
could do no mere.
felt dazed, COMPOUNDED, thunderstorm. In nv
darkest moments OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT such mo-
ments fall to the explorer much 10 any mar Id
the wOrld-I had never dreamed Of such calamity
occurring. just remember paying the porter some
thing. and having cloak,room ticket thrust into
my hand. Mcchar ically i glanced at IL. Ii wac
for &" ten packages" IL my manuscript had been
there. there would have been eleven
1t seems to me. looking back on the event from
tho calm distance of some years remarkable
thing that took my loss so quietly. The occur.
renee which / have inst described occupied 50
short time TO enact that IN ten minutes, OF
quarter of an hour at most, after discovering the
disappearance of the precious bag, was out In the
streets, wandering about London.
felt But Il had felt il only in dull. stupid kind
of way. Ny thoughts, shich had been 30 painfully
vivid at the moment Of my calamity, and had EN-.
bIaced past. present, and tnture In one wide laud
scapc Of gloom. was now all bat stagnant.
What shonld dot My LIES labor was lost, and
] concluded not to visit publisher. My Tomb Of
literary rival OF The City OF Jonah for the simple
reason that 10 would never be published. Besides
o rather treacherous memory, had no other mate
rails whatever to work on. so as TO reconstruct my
tale of exploration. Beyond doubt, the ten years
of study of danger. of toll and priyation cheer
fully borne because Of the unfailing solace of a
Back to the East once more
Thank Heaven, had recovered my wits and my
manhood But had been utterly unable with the
weight OF my loss on me-, to visit my family and
friends / had left LOndOn-accursed city OF my
trbuatiOn !-behlnd me on the very night on
which arrived in It,
Yes, ] was off to Persia again, determined to
count the past ten years simply dream and to
begin my exploring work oil over again.
When got TO Brindsi my mind " as sufficiently
recovered from ito shock to understand that had
4 L.. tnf.r al in -
for the recovery OF my bag containing the manu-
script. set that matter right by telegraphing to
my London agents TO Immediately advertise a 70.
ward of tI00. might even yet recover tho treas
are but il was snch fOrlOrn chance that decided
not to wait bat TO push on to my destlDation-my
deserted trenches and quarries at Ecbataua.
Every step OF my journey, however. was mex
pressitly melancholy to me- The Mediterranean
was simply haunted by the recollection OIL the
bounding hopes and dreams OF fame with which
had steamed along 1t a few weeks ago. felt quite
ten years older. Ago was creeping on NE, aud q
terrible blank had been created in my life. was as
one who had lost dear friend. Still, neryed my.
self for the coming struggle; would conquer. L
would yet publish my work, would wrest fame from
envious fortune, though at tie eleventh hour!
IL was in this mood that | found myself at Alex
andria. The canal was not Yet quite completed. so
we had to 20 the old land route to Suez. stood on
the landing stage watching my mass oil luggage
being disembarked. -
events had said to myself shall not be lost. Aud
had mentally determined, when next reached
England. to cary back with me double and treble
the number of relics and vauables OF Me1lc history
One by one the fateful ten boxes and packages
were hauled up ont Of the luggage boat and dc
posted at my feet. | could only muster up
lanRuid interest IN their safety. nevertheless,
thought it best to remain and see that they were
not unnecessarily Knocked about by the Egyptian
Ii seemed fated that my baggage should meet
with accident. Some OF the packages were
certainly heavy and That may account ior II: ms ms
one which have mentioned as being made with q
loose pocket at the side to contain cap o feI IL
required OF course | severely lectured the clumsy
boatnen who were responsible, though no actual
harm had been done. lie was only fall oil couple
of feet that the pOrtmanteau had, and nothing Oh
great value to me was packe1 inside II.
Then turned to leave, after giving exact orders
rs to carrying the baggage TO the railway station at
once. thought, however, that would Just count the
boxes and bags to make sure they were III there;
There ought, in the natural course OF things as Il
said before. to have been ten packages and ten
only, since the loss Of the eleventh the mannscrpt
bag | ran my eye lisIlessly over tneul' ana sun
denly became perfectly petrihed WITH astousn-
ment. No other word will express 1t. | was
rooted to the ground like "a Drudlcal stone Every
faculty had was concentrated III the absorbing
one of complete, unmltigated surprise. ,u,.
There was the manuscript bag 1t was lying az
my feet quite quietly expe ecu Ind stared at
It, and it seemed to stare back at me. Ihstead Oh
clutching it Immediately L was so cOhVihceaN
was not real and only hollow mirage ana mockery,
that turned away, and walked few PAGES OH, 70
bring myself back to NY senses. -
But when | moved back tony former POSITION
opposite the luggage, / could deny the fact 10
longer The Bag was Here Then seized It with
feversh lands opened it, tore the myrlau wrap
nin0s away from the roll inside, and my precious
my beloved, my toil-won manuscript was pressed
to my heart! $780,, IT.
How it got there is easily explained. The
wretched little bag must have slipped down IN the
spill which took place at Victoria Station, ana
secreted itself by chance in the loose poe ket OF a
portmauteau As there nothing IN thas
p0cket had not been careful about fastening IL
and consequently the flap was loose. BY an neon.
ceivably bad piece of luck, my sacred anuscrlps
fell into that identical pocket. and lay unnotlcel;
have called this the story OF n sell, and IA" sell
twas TO me- But "a sell which writes wrlnkl in the
forehead and grey hairs in the beard even Oh
n strong man. may be quite as bad. while it lass,
as a bona fde misfortune Of the good old-iasl'