The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1905-07-01
CHAPTER VII.

Aoins more tnau lWo aAAoA'Ate s~t 1850 -.
s ants. Russians, Persians ana Iurko-
mans
A. nine o'clock the signal to start was
Ivan The train leaving hizil Arvat
s .,n+ of in southwestcrly direction
. %o Askhabad, along bhe Persian
frontier.
IL remained awake it was because
r wos troubled in my mind l was think
,n~ of nv famous packing case, Of the
",o, # contained, and this very night
I'D rnsolyed to enter into communication
Nth him. l thought Of the people who
Nd done this sort of thing before. In
1859, 1901 and 1892 an Austrian tailor
Herman Zeitung. had come from vienna
IN Paris, from Amsterdam to Brussels
from Antwerp to Christiania, in box.
But | must wait until Popof had re-
.ired to rest. The train would not stop
until # reached Check Tepe, >at one
orIock in the morning. During the run
from Kill Arvat to Check Tepe l reck-
oned that Popof would have good
sleep and then, or never, | would put
nv plan into execution.
Half an hour went by, and the noise
Of a door shutting on the platform Of
the car told ME that our guard had just
entered his little box. In spite Of my de-
sire to visit the baggage car, waited
patiently, for it was possible that Popof
was not vet sound asleep.
I rise | draw aside the curtain Of
one of the lamps. l look at my watch.
II Is few minutes past eleven. Stall
two hours to Check Tepe. The moment
has come. glide between the seats to
the door of the car. | open 1t gently
md shut it after me without waking any
one.
Assured of my safety, I cross the
gangway and am in front of the baggage
van The door is only fastened with a
bar which is hung between two staples.
l open it and shut it behind me.
Although the darkness Is deep In the
van, although there is no side window,
| know my position. l know where the
case is placed; it is in the left corner
as | enter. Carefully feeling with feet
and hands, reach the case.
l leaned over and placed my ear tim
Idly against the other panel. There was
no sound Of breathing.
The products Of the house Of Strong,
Rulbul & Co., Of New York, could not
be more noiseless in their boxes. A fear
seizes upon me-the fear of seeing all
my reporters hopes vanish. Was | de-
Ceived on board the Astara?
No! Feeble as it Is, l detect a move
ment inside the case! 1t becomes more
distinct, and | ask il the panel is going
to slide, If the prisoner Is coming out
Of his prison to breathe the fresh air2
Suddenly a slight cracking greets my
ear. ! am not the sport Of an illusion
1t is the crack of a match being lighted
Almost Immediately a few feeble rays
pierce the ventilation holes of the case
A minute elapsed Nothing shows thai
the panel has been moved, nothing gives
me reason to suppose that the unknown
is coming out.
Cautiously I wait. Then I have al
Idea to make something out Of this light
The case is lighted within. l put my
eye close to one of the holes.
There Is a man in the box. His fea
lures l can make out clearly. He Il
from % to 26 years Of age. He does no
RhaVe, and his beard Is brown. He il
OF the true Roumanian type. He Is good
looking, although his face denotes grea
energy Of character, and he must b.
energetic to have shut himself up In
box like this for such long journey.
But what Is he doing now? Well, b.
ls seated on the bottom Of his case ant
placidly eating his supper by the light O
little lamp. A box of preserves Is OF
his knee, biscuit is not wanting, and Ii
little cupboard l notice a rug an
oVercoat hooked up ON the WALL
Evidently No. II Is quite at home. II
Is there In his cell like a snail in hi
shell. His house goes with him; an
ne saves the thousand francs it woul
have cost him to journey from Tiff
70 Pek1n, secOnd-class. | know he !
committing fraud, and the law pun
lshes such fraud. He can come out O
us box when he likes and take a wal
IN the van, or even at night venture 0
the platform,
An Idea occurs to me which may nc
perhaps be as good as it seems. That
10 rap lightly on the box so as to ente
into communication with my new con
Panlon, and learn who he Is and whanc
ne comes, for know whittier he goes
will tell him that l am a French
man. and Roumanian knows he can a
ways trust a Frenchman. | will offe
nm my services. He will have nothin
10 regret from my visits, and nothing I
tear from my impudences.
rap the panel. The light suddenl
goes out. The prisoner has suspende
MS respiration. must reassure him.
Open!' l say to him gently in Ru
sian. "Open-"
l cannot finish the sentence; for tt
uain gives sudden jump and Stacker
speed. There is a noise outside. rus
out Of the van and shut the door benin
me.
1t was time. I have scarcely reache
tne platform before Popof's door open
snd' without seeing me, he hurri,
through the van on to the engine, A
most Immediately the train resumes /
normal speed, and Popof reappears
minute afterward.
What is the matter, PopofY
we have smashed dromedary. Pc,
line" A0"N -" VA -
CHAPTER VIII.
- before the train reaches Ghoek Tel
Am am back in the car. Confound tn
uIHnedary! If he had not managed
yet smashed rn ol,,posSIv NJ ~ xr,os,