The National tribune., 1881-12-24
THE MYSTERIOUS BOX.


We noticed him, / remember, from the very
first; and we had three good reasons for doing So
In the first place, he the very last passenger
to come on board arriving, indeed, just when the
bell was ringing as signal to clear the ship
In the second place he was rather a remark
able-loOking fellow altogether tall, gaunt, sal
low and stern, with long, lean face and cold
gray eye, and, as we all declared, manifest air
of mystery about him, even from the beginning.
Last, but by no means least, Of our grounds of
suspicion, was the fact that our mysterious fell
lOw-paSsenger brought on board with him an OBJ
long wooden box, very much like an Overgrown
| pistol case of which he seemed far more careful
than of the well-wom leather portmanteau, which
was the only other article of baggage that he
seemed to possess.
II was evidently not very heavy, for one sailor
shoudered it with ease 1t could not be called
inconveniently large for when its master begged
to be allowed to keep it in his state-room instead
of slowing it in the hold, neither captain pur-
ser made the slightest objection.
1t was not labeled "Glass, with Care or any
thing of that sort as we could all see for cur
selves and yet its masters nervous anxiety lest
! it should be damaged, or even bumped against
anything hard, was so marked that every one be-
gan to have dismal suspicious as to its possible
contents.
But Just at first we had something else to think
about for the first three days Of our voyage were
perfect chapter of accidents
To begin with we were thrown late at start
| ing, by having to wait more than an hour for the
mail. Then when we were just outside the Mar
rows on came fog as thick as buckwheat por-
/ ridge which forced us to lie-to till late in the
afternoon, keeping up all the while chorus Of
bells and iog-hOrns worthy of Chinese wedding
And as soon as the fog cleared it was succeeded
by a pour of rain which inspired facetious
saloon-passenger to ask the captain at dinner
time, whether fishing was allowed on the after
deck.
At length the rain went off in its turn, and
now we began to hope that this was the end of
our troubles; but we soon found it to be only the
beginning of them.
The red and angry sunset on the second night,
the ghOstly haze around the full moon when it
rose, the short, uneasy painting of the wind, all
forboded farther mischief; and the older "salts"
looked meaningly to windward, and prophesied
dirty weather.
The prOphesy was not long in fulfilling itself
About midnight | was awakened by a crash as if
twenty cart-loads of bricks had tumbled through
the roofs Of as many glass houses, and found my
self standing bolt-upright in my berth, like sol
der in a sentry-box. The next moment | had a
fine perspective view of my toes high overhead
while kind Of waterfall of cushions blankets,
pillows, soap towels boots, and what not, went
pouring through every part of the room. Then
Il.
screaming women, crying children, the rattle of
dishes, the crash and jingle Of broken glass, and
we were fairly {" in for it" at last.
For the next twenty-four hours in the graphic
words Of our old boatswain, "everything blessed
on board was inside-out and upside-down Plates
and cups, knives forks and spoons, eddied cease
lessly from side to side of the table.
Hasty feeders stuck their forks into themselves
in place Of their meat; the soup meant for the
mouths Of the guests emptied itself into their
laps instead; and Just one dignified old gen
tleman was raising his coffee-cup to his lips as
sOemnly as if he were taking poison, the ship
gave sudden lurch, and the boiling coffee flew
like fountain-iet into his spotless shirt-front
making him wriggle like speared eel.
But by morning of the fourth day the gale
liberty to turn our attention once more to the
mysterious passenger and his equally mysterious
box.
The former seemed quite as anxious to preserve
himself from contact with anything on board as
he had been to preserve his package, for he never
spoke to any one. and always answered as shortly
as possible when he answered at all whenever
any one spoke to him.
AS for the box itself, it was greater puzzle
than ever. The stewards reported that he had
warned them so earnestly against touching it, or
even going near it. as to imply that the contents,
whatever they might be, were something very
dangerous indeed. But, as if he had his doubts
whether even the fear Of some unknown peril
would be strong enough to keep them from med
ding with the precious package if they got the
chance, he spent the most of his time below, and
as he had taken a whole state-room for himself
(or, rather, for himself and his box there was no
risk of any one disturbing him there.
Il think he's Fenian carrying over one of
those dynamite torpedoes to Liverpool" said
young British officer, homeward bound from
Canada
More likely bank-clerk absconding with
specie" grunted big red-faced cotton spinner
from Lancashire
"Box amt heavy enough for that" objected
lanky New Yorker
Perhaps after all, it's nothing more wonder
ful than rare statue or picture for some muse