The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1905-07-15
The Special Correspondent
CHAPTER VII.

Arvat. Although the day Is closing In,
I could not employ my time better than
In visiting this little town, which con-
tains more than two thousand inha bit
ants. Russians, Persians and Turko-
mans.
At nine o'clock the signal to start was
given. The train leaving Kizil Arvat
went oR in q southweSterly direction
toward Askhabad. along the Persian
frontier.
II l remained awake Il was because
was troubled in my mind. l was think
Ing Of my famous packing case, OF the
man Il contained, and this very night l
had resolved to enter into Communication
with him. ! thought Of the people who
had done this sort Of thing before. In
1889. 1891 and 1892 an Austrian tailor.
Herman Zeitung. had come from Vienna
to Paris, from Amsterdam TO Brussels,
from Antwerp to Christiania. In box.
But l must wait until Popof had re-
tired to rest. The train would not stop
until 1t reached Check Tepe, at one
o'clock in the morning. During the run
from Kizil ArvRt TO Check Tepe | reck-
oned that Popof would have 4 good
sleep. and then, or never, l would put
my 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 il was possible that Popot
was not Jet sound asleep.
l rise l draw aside the curtain of
one Of the lamps l look at my watch.
IL IL q few minutes past eleven. Sull
two hours to Check Tepe. The moment
has come. l glide between the seats to
the door OF the car. open 1t gently
and shut II after me without waking any
one.
Assured Of my safety, cross the
gangway and am In front Of the baggage
van The door 10 only fastened with q
bar which IL hung between two staples.
] open II and shut Il behind me.
Although the darkness 10 deep In the
van. although there IL no aide window,
i know my position. know where the
case Is placed: Il Is in the left corner
as / enter. Carefully feeling with feet
and hands, reach the case.
/ leaned over and placed my ear tim
Idly against the other panel. There wa
no sound Of breathing.
The products Of the house Of Strong
BuIbul & Co, Of New York, could not
be more nOiseless in their boxes A fear
seizes upon me-the fear Of seeing al
my reporters hopes vanish Was l de
eeived on board the Astara9
MOI Feeble as il Is, l detect q move
ment inside the case! II becomes more
distinct. and l ask II the panel Is going
60 slide, II the prisoner Is coming oui
OF his prison to breathe the fresh air?
Suddenly a slight cracking greets ms
ear. l am not the sport OF an Illusion
Il is the crack of a match being lighted
Almost Immediately a few feeble ray,
pierce the ventilation holes OF the case
A minute elapsed. Nothing shows that
the panel has been moved. nothing give.
me reason to suppose that the unknown
Il coming out.
Cautiously I wait. Then have Al
idea to make something out Of this light
The case Is lighted within. l put ny
eye close to one Of the holes.
There Il a man In the box. His fea
lures / can make out clearly. He /,
from Is TO % years OF age. He does MOI
khave, and his beard Is brown. He |,
OF the true Roumanian type. He IL good
looking, although his face denotes grea
energy Of character, and be must b,
energetic TO have shut himself up In
box Ike this for such a long journey.
But what Is be doing now7 Well. b,
IL seated on the bottom Of his case anc
placidly eating his supper By the light o.
q little lamp. A box Of preserves l. OF
bis knee, biscuit Is not wanting. and II
: little cupboard l notice = rug anc
ovsrcoat booked up on the wall
Evidently No. IL 10 quite 1t home. Fl
Il there In his cell Ike a snail In hi
she'll His house goes with him; an,
be saves the thousand francs IL woak
have cost him TO Journey from TIL
10 Pekin, second-clasa. know he
committing q fraud. and the law pun
lshes such fraud. He can come out 0
bis box when he likes and take a wal
In the van, or even at night venture o.
the platform.
An idea occurs % me which NAY no
perhaps be as good as II seems That /
to rap lightly on the box 50 as TO ente
into communication with my new com
panIon, and learn who be Is and vhsnc
be comes, for / know whittier he goes.
/ will tell him that | am 4 French
man, and a RoumAnian knows he can Al
ways trust a Frenchman. will ofs
him my services. He viii have noEhin
70 regret from my visits, and nothing {
fear from my impudences.
| rap the panel. The light suddenl
goes out. The prisoner has suspende
bis respiration must rsassurs him.
"openT' l Say 10 him gently In Rul
dan. Open"
/ cannot finish the sentence; for III
train gives a sudden jump and sIacken
speed. There Il q noise outside. rus
out Of the van and ahut the door benin
me.
Il was dms. have scarcely rsache
the platform before POpof-s door open
and. without seeing me. he hnrris
through the van on 20 the engine. A
most Immediately the train resumes 4
normal speed. and Popof reappears
minute afterward.
what Is the matter, PopofT'
''We have smashed a dromedary. POI
brutei He might have thrown as of Il
une."
CHAPTER VIII.