Amador ledger., 1904-07-08
THE OPIUM CIGARETTE
tOriginal.1

The Russian, sir"
what Russian?"
Don't know, sir. He's some big
man in his country. These people are
to see him off, sir. He's going home"
I stepped into the compartment
where had engaged a seat. There l
found two elderly women with several
children, all of one party. Beyond, by
a window, sat a young woman whose
appearance interested me at once.
Never have 1 seen such an expression
on any human face. The only descrip-
ton 1 can give of 1t is that it reminded
me of picture 1 had once seen of an
early Christian martyr who had nerved
herself to be buried alive. But this
gives only a vague idea of the wOman's s
whole appearance. She was well
dressed, and her features and bearing
indicated one of the highest class. 1t
was impossible for her to conceal a
mental restlessness that showed itself
especially in the eyes, which were
constantly moving.
The train made but one stop between
London and FolkeStone, where the
party of women and children got out,
leaving only me and the woman l have
been trying to describe in the COM
partment.
THANK heaven" she said to me in a
contralto voice, they are gone! 1 am
sure you will not object to my smoking
cigarette in this compartment,
though it is not smoker"
Certainly not, madam
"You speak FrenchT' she asked in
that language.
1 assured her that did, and after
that we conversed in the French Ian
guage. l took out some cigarettes and
lighted one to keep her company, but
she insisted on my smoking one of
hers, which, she said, had been made
expressly for her from a recipe fur
nished by a member of the suit of the
sultan Of Turkey. l threw mine away
and took one of hers. l knew at once
that it contained opium, but how much
or what other drugs l did not know.
One thing 1 did know. l was rapidly
passing into delightful trance. which
every Whit seemed to make still more
delightful. 1 saw the woman watching
me, and when she was satisfied that l
was powerless she opened a hand bag
beside her and took out something
rolled in brown paper, opened it, took
out wedge shaped piece of wood and,
seizing my chin, opened my mouth and
gagged me.
This done, she took out a timetable,
which she scanned, looked at her
watch, cast a glance out of the win
dow, then momentarily gave way to a
terrible depression. judged that she
was obliged to wait for something, and
on the eve of some move-one involv-
ing life and death, for instance-there
is nothing like delay to break one
down. 1 noticed that we were passing
through a thickly settled district and
that as soon as we had passed again
into the country she nerved herself
and prepared for something she was
about to do.
Her first act was to disrobe. But in
stead of displaying the undergarments
of woman she lay bare a mans out
er clothing. Her woman's attire was
merely q covering, which she threw
out of the window. Next she took a
glass globe about two inches in diam
eter from her satchel, and the satchel
followed the clothing. Then sheer
rather he, for by this time 1 had made
up my mind that the person was a
young man-cast a glance at me which
seemed to satisfy him, took another
look at his watch, peered out at the
passing landscape and after casting up
his eyes and muttering a prayer
climbed out of the window and let him
self down on the footboard.
Had 1 not been under the influence of
opium 1 should have been profoundly
moved by all this. AS 1t was it seem
ed but a part of my dream, and the
moment the singular being passed on:
of it he was forgotten. remember be-
ing Jared by an explosion, but did not
at the time connect it with the young
man.
Whatever occurred was hushed up
When we reached Folkestone a guard
was obliged to carry me on to the
channel boat and 1 did not come to
myself again before we reached
Boulogne. 1 did not get an oppor-
tunity to interview any of the passen-
gers, and the whole affair was to me
something of mystery. Indeed 1 fan
cied had dreamed it under the infiu-
ence of an opium cigarette. If bomb
was really exploded with view to kill
ing the Russian official in another com
partment, 1t failed. My theory, based
on the view that it was a real occur
renee, was that the assailant dropped
the bomb before he was ready to ex
plode it in or under the compartment
occupied by the Russian.
Two years afterward 1 was in st
Petersburg standing in a crowd watch
ing for the emperor to pass on his way
to review some of his troops. Among
the members of his staff 1 saw a face
that astonished me. 1 never forget
faces, and certainly could never for
get this one. 1t was the face of the
young man who had drugged me on the
train between Boulogne and Folke
stone. Happening to glance down upor
me, he caught my astonished glance
which doubtless helped him to recog
nize me. The cavalcade passed on, and
I returned to my hotel.
That night I was trying vainly tc
sleep, for I was troubled about being
recognized as a nihilist and been rec
ognized by him in the cars suit, wher
there was knock on the door, and q
man entered.