The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-01

drives would have been constructed so
as to meet in the heart of the forest,
unless there was some traffic meant to
pass that way. All at once the explana-
tion. burst upon me. It was a SNUG
gler's route!
!. + !.
The high tariffs Of the Russian and
Austrian empires have fostered an i'm
portant contraband traffic. The, SOL
diers who patrol the frontier are easily
bribed by share in the gains Of the
smugglers. What. the Russian war Of
fee had done was to bride the SNUG
glers in their turn to act as its allies
in this strange invasion.
have used the word invasion. I'm
less my deductions were wholly false,
the thirty-six guns which I had seen
passing my window in the night were
by this time actually planted on the
soil Of Austria.
r I sprang over the fence and hurried
forward on the still clearly revealed
track. o."
At the end of an hour from my first
entrance into the forest, my ear caught
low murmur which warned me that 1
was drawing near to some kind Of en-
campment Striking from the lane into
the wood, I advanced, creeping from
tree to tree. But have had few OPP
portunities of learning woodcraft, and
there were keener ears, and more steal
thy footsteps than mine in the forest.
Suddenly felt a powerful hand grip
ping nv throat, dark cloth descended
over. my eyes, and I was thrown vio-
lently to the ground.
I did not lose consciousness, while I
was lifted up by the feet and shoulders,
and carried a distance which Iscalcu-
lated at two hundred PAGES. After
some twisting and turning | was set
down, and the cloth was taken off my
head. I sat up and looked round.
found myself in a small hut OF
surrounded by half dozen dark-faced
men who squatted between me and the
doorway, the only opening by which
light was admitted. One glance at my
captors satisfied me that they were nei:
ther soldiers nor Russians. Reassured
on this point I prepared to defend my
self boldly.
The head man Of the party appeared
to be an old fellow with short gray
beard, who might have passed equally
we'll in the uncertain light for Wal
ZACH, a slovene, gypsy or Jew, but
any race. Addressing myself to the
chief of the smugglers, as [ conceived
him to be, in Polish, I asked
"Why have you dared to treat me
like this?"
HE is a Pole!" The muttered ex-
clamation solved my doubt as to the
race of the smugglers. The language
they used between themselves was Ro-
many.
"What were YIN doing in. our woods'
the old gypsy "a asked th1eaten 7 >,
avo o,161An1v 1irhto6 nm H
took a step towards me, uttered an
amazed ejaculation, and then, before ]
knew what was happening, fell on his
knees before me, and, Selling my right
hand, respectfully kissed ring on the
little finger. At the same time the 9th.
er members Of the party crowded
round, evidently impatient to follow
his example.
The ring which excited this extraor
{ binary demonstration was one which
had worn SO long that / had forgotten
all about it. It had been given me
seventeen years before, in Bagdad, b.
an Old woman I had saved from the
bastinado at the hands of a savag,
pasha.
She was gypsy, I now remembered
she had forced the ring upon me agains
my Will, ana nad urged me never tt
take it off night or day, assuring m,
in the most solemn manner that i
would one day be the means Of savin{
my life. This prophecy, which hat
laughed at as vain boast and quickl,
Forgotten, was coming true at last.
Blessing the old lady with al
my heart, and inwardly apologizin
to her for my past skepticism,
put on the air Of one who was accus
toned to, and expected, the homage h
was receiving.