Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1905-07-08
The Special Correspondent
:M)=

paddle boxes, the wind is so strong that
l seek shelter among the packages COW
cred by the tarpaulin. Stretched on one
of the boxes, wrapped in my rug, with
my head resting against the tarpaulin,
l shall soon be asleep.
After some time 1 am awakened by a
curious noise. Whence comes this noise?
listen more attentively. 1t seems as
though some one is snoring close to my
ear.
"That is some storage passenger" l
think. He has got under the tarpauin
between the cases, and he will not do
so badly in his improvised abin."
By the light which filters down from
the lower part of the pinnacle, 1 see
nothing. l listen again. The noise has
ceased. l look about. There is no one
on this part of the deck, for the second
class passengers are all forward.
Then l must have been dreaming and
l resume my position, and try again to
sleep. This time there Is no mistake.
The snoring has begun again. and l am
sure 1t is coming from the case against
which | am leaning my head.
Goodness" 1 say. ''There must be
an animal in here"
Now l am off on the trail. 1t must
be wild animal ON its way from some
menagerie to some Sultan Of Central
Asia.
light wax vesta, and as I am shell
tered from the wind, the fame keeps
upright. BY its light what do 1 read /?
The case containing the wild beast is
the very one with the address:
Mademoiselle Zinca Klork, Avenue
Cha-Coua, Pekin. China.
Fragile, my wild beast, Keep from
damp, my lion. Quite SOL But for what
does Miss Zinca Klork, this pretty Rou-
manian, want a wild beast sent in this
way?
My thoughts bewilder me. 1 have a
two-pound weight on each eyeld. l lie
p down along by the tarpaulin my rug
wraps me more closely, and 1 fall into a
deep sleep. 1t is not yet daylight when
1 awake.
l rub my eyes, rise, go and lean
against the rail. The Astara Is not 80
lively, for the wind has shifted to the
northeast.
The night is cold. I warm myself by
walking about briskly for half an hour.
I think no more OF my wild beast. Sud
denly remembrance returns to me.
l look at my watch. 1t Is only O'Clock
In the morning. 1 will go back to my
place. And do 30 with my head against
the side of the case. 1 shut my eyes.
Suddenly there Is a new sound. This
time l am not mistaken. A half-stifed
sneeze shakes the side of the case. Never
did an animal sneeze like that!
Is It possi Bile? A human being Ks hid
den IN this case and is being fraudulent
ly carried by the Grand Transasiatic tc
the pretty houmanian2 But is it a mar
or a woman? 1t seems as though the
sneeze has masculine sound about 1t
The eastern horizon grows brighter
The clouds In the zenith are the first t
color. The sun appears at last all wat
cry with the mists of the sea-
l look; 1t is indeed the case addressed
10 Pekin. 1 notice that certain holes at,
pierced here and here, by which the ali
inside can be renewed. Perhaps tw,
eyes are looking through these holes
watching what is going on outside.
At breakfast rally all the passenger,
whom the sea has not affected; the youn,
Chinaman, Major Noltitz, Ephrinell
Miss Bluett, Monsieur Caterna, the Bar
on Observation-Disclosures, and seven O.
. eight other passengers. am careful
not to let the American into the score
of the case.
About noon the land is reported to tn
eastward, low, yellowish land, with n,
rocky margin, but a few sand hills IL
the neighborhood OF Krasnovodsk.
|, In an hour we are in sight of Uzul
; Ada, aod twenty-seven minutes after
ward set foot in Asia.