Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1914-02-26
The ESSayan
Statue
copyright. 1913. by w. G. Chapman
An Audacious Hazard of Nikoai Independent Agent
Related by His Lieutenant, Summers
BY H. M. EGBERT

swered the banker. Now shoo! 10
away. You make me feel tired"
On the following Saturday Nikolai
and sailed for England. 1t was on
shipboard that he unfolded his plans.
I'VE must anticipate those num-
miles," he said. Now, Summers, to
let in a light upon your brain, | in
tend to enter Essayan's house dis
guised as an Egyptian king"
"a mummy" l asked. bewildered.
"Yes. Mummies can be procured
easily in London. l shall simply re-
move the body, wrap myself in the
spiced windings, enclosing very mod
ern piece Of papyrus recounting the
history of my undertaking, bore a
neat breathing hole in the case, and
ship myself to Boston. You will take
me in your stateroom on the voyage
back, and trust that you will let me
out of my case at times for little
fresh air and exercise. The difficult
part will be after we reach Boston har-
Dor. | shall prepare for stay of
twenty-four hours or more at the Gus
tom house by making myself insensi-
BILE with opium or some drug, to while
away the time and prevent feeling
of cramp from lying in my case.
shall be consigned to Mr.. Essayan, our
fat Armenian friend and | have no
doubt that he will consider me to be
from Berg, his art expert on the other
side, and welcome me with open arms
~ Jn in
museum, where | hope to accomplish
my undertaking"
But Essayan will recognize the
statue" | objected,
Neither Essayan nor Berg himself
will recognize it," Nikolai answered
We readily procured mummy in
London, and, on the night before our
return journey, Nikolai gave me my
final instructions.
"All you will have to do" he said
will be to wait at the back of the
house with blanket and catch what
shall throw out to you. You will have
a pony trap in waiting-or perhaps ii
would be still better to be in the guise
of the collector of waste from barrels
In this way you will not be under sus
picion. You will wait, of course, un
til the watchman has made his round.
then ! shall throw down the statue.
We unwrapped the mummy from It's
fastenings. | confess 1t was some
what gruesome undertaking. and when
finally we stood looking down upon
the features of that ancient Egyptian.
| detected in it an uncanny resem
blance to Nikolai. There was the
same high forehead, the same eagle
nose moreover, the proportions,
shriveled though they were. were lit
tie short of Nikolai's. He laughed
"Reincarnation?' he said, smiling
down on the grotesque thing. well,
if so, my worthy ancestor in the flesh,
we shall put you to good purpose
We left the mummy in our rooms
there was no way to dispose of it
and Nikolai got into the box | wrap
ped the windings round him and
placed a pillow beneath his head
Then, having bored number of holes
in the case, which rubbed with pig
ment to make them appear as though
they were the product of time, | put
on the lid.
How do you feel?" l asked.
We'll but stuffy," came Nikolai's
answer family from within the case.
Then he called to me to raise the lid.
For heavens sake do not forget to
lay by goodly supply of food for my
use In your stateroom," he said. "As
you may have observed, | am great
trencherman. Now shut her down"
He tested the air for half an hour
and found it breathable. Then he
emerged and we made our final dispo.
sitions.
On the following day l boarded the
Hispaniola, sailing from Liverpool for
Boston. The mummy was hoisted on
board, and a little while afterward
Nikolai came to life within my state
room. The voyage across the Allan
tic was uneventful, and although my
mummy caused considerable talk
among the stewards, nobody suspected
that it contained a very much up-to-
date passenger. | had given instruc-
tions that the case should be shipped
to Essayan's house; marked the out
side as though it had come from Berg
and, having left Nikolai with supply
of water and some concentrated food,
I bade him farewell. He had decided
at my instigation, rather to endure
the discomfort Of the long wait pa
tiently than to take a drug
We arrived on Sunday. The case
would be delivered on the following
morning, Nikolai said, and the Gus
toms officers promised to hurry it
through. l forget what duty / paid;
1t was well worth it. On Monday
night, about the hour of twelve, Nj
kolai was to emerge from the num-
my case, select his statue and throw
1t down to me.
Then l remembered that the hour
would be too early for the advent of
the ash-barrel collector. / hit on a
new plan. l would drive past the
back Of the house in sight of the
watchman, in an automobile; / would
pretend that the machine had broken
down, and would stop in the street
for repairs. No crowd would be like
ly to assemble at such an hour in that
secluded district; and the watchman
would be compelled to make the round