The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1905-05-10
CHAPTER VII.

n NppAS nv NiaHANy bs N'NAS 80 $1,000
in visiting this little town. which o
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 Kill Arvat
went off in a southwesterly direction
toward Askhabad, along the Persian
frontier.
If / remained awake it was because
/ was troubled in my mind. | was think
Ing OF my famous packing case, OF the
man it contained. and this very night /
had resolved 10 enter into communication
with him. l 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 10 Brussels,
FROM Antwerp to Christiania, in a box.
But | must wait until Popof had re-
tired to rest. The train would not stop
until ii reached Check Tepe. at one
o'clock il the morning. During the run
from KILL Arvat to Check Tepe | reck-
oned that Popof would have a good
sleep, and then. or never. | would put
my plan into execution.
Half an hour went by, and the noise
of a door shutting IN 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, l waited
patiently, for it was possible that Popof
was not yet sound asleep.
l rise, l draw aside the curtain Of
one OF the lamps. l look at my watch.
Ii Is n few minutes past eleven. Still
two hours TO Check Tepe. The moment
has come. l glide between the seats to
the door of the car. / open it gently
and shut it after me without waking any
one.
Assured of my safety, l 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.
/ open 1t and shut 1t behind me.
Although the darkness is deep in the
van, although there is no side window,
| know my position. | know where the
case is placed; it is in the left corner
rs | enter. Carefully feeling with feet
and hands, l reach the case.
| 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 l de-
ceived on board the Astara?
No! Feeble as it is, | detect a move
ment inside the case! 1t becomes more
distinct, and l ask if the panel is going
to slide, If the prisoner is coming out
Of his prison to breathe the fresh air.
Suddenly a slight cracking greets my
ear. | am not the sport OF an illusion;
it 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 that
the panel has been moved, nothing gives
mt reason to suppose that the unknown
is coming out.
Cautiously ! wait. Then l have an
idea to make something out of this light.
The case Is lighted within. / put my
eye close to one Of the holes.
There is a man in the box. His fea-
lures | can make out clearly. He is
from % to 20 years OF age. He does not
shave, and his beard is brown. He is
of the true Roumanian type. He is good
looking, although his face denotes great
energy OF character. and he must be
energetic to have shut himself up in a
box like this for such a long journey.
But what is he doing now? Well. he
is seated on the bottom of his case and
placidly eating his supper by the light of
a little lamp. A box of preserves is on
his knee, biscuit is not wanting, and in
a little cupboard | notice a rug and
overcoat hooked up ON the wall.
Evidently No. IL Is quite Mt home. He
is there in his cell like a snail in his
shell. His house goes with him; and
he saves the thousand francs it would
have cost him to journey from Tihis
to Pekin, second-class. l know he is
committing a fraud. and the law pun
ishes such fraud. He can come out of
his box when he likes and take a walk
in the a I. o even at night venture on
the platform.
An idea occurs to me which may not
perhaps be as good as it seems. That is
to rap lightly on the box 50 as to enter
into communication with my new COM
panion. and learn who he Is and whence
he comes, for / know whittier he goes.
/ will tell him that l am a French
man, and a Roumanian knows he can al
ways trust a Frenchman. l will offer
him my services. He will have nothing
to regret from my visits, and nothing to
fear from my impudences.
l rap the panel. The light suddenly
goes out. The prisoner has suspended
his respiration. / must reassure him.
"Open!" I say to him gently In Rus
sian. ssOpen-"
/ cannot finish the sentence; for the
train gives a sudden jump and slackens
speed. There Is a noise outside. l rush
out of the van and shut the door behind
me.
IT was time. / have scarcely reached
the platform before Popof's door opens,