Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-01-20

II am very muCn OOlSeu ~ 'u0 zap
tain of your steamship and TO your
agents" answered, sand also obliged
to nv unknown benefactor. Wnen l
receive the box certainly hope to know
more about it"
Then the conversation turned on the
stearmer's voyage, which my visitor
said had been quite eyentful, as at one
time they had good chance to go to
DAvy Jones locker. "We caught a
pampero off Madrins Point" said he,
"that blew away every sail aud de-
stroyed four Of our boats. We were
sailing along as nice as you please when
bang came that pampero like a shot from
cannon. Every rag of canvas we had
out was swept away like the swapping OF
your finger and the boats went smashing
into splinters. "
"About as bad as a typhoon," Ire.
marked.
"a typhoonl" he exclaimed; "why,
it was worse while it lasted; worse than
typhoon or West India hurricane.
Luckily it didn't stay more than ten min
u,es or me aud your box would have
been at the bottom"
Then he mentioned other incidents OF
the voyage, ratified off with great glib
ness the names OF their stopping places
and referred TO little peculiarities of some
of the ports of the far East, which GER
tainly seemed to show an acquaintance
with them. He mentioned, in the most
casual manner, that while coming out of
the Ly-ee-moon passage Of Hong Kong
Karbor they narrowly escaped collision
with French steamer which was just
going IN, aud he spoke of an incident Of
their stay at the TaDjOng-Pagar docks
at Singapore. His conversation was
fairly dotted with marine terms, but less
so than the talk of the sailor as the
dramatists usually present him on the
stage.
He cbatted on with great ease, and for
q time had me quite of my guard. Then
it occurred to me that his manner was
decidedly more iaunty and free than
that of the first officers or even the cap
tains of tramp steamers under the Eng
lish flag. His accent was not specifically
British, and his manner of twirling an
envelope, which had given him to
show my full name aud address, was
that of a man more accustomed to the
handling of papers than Of one in his
purported position. A suspicion arose
In my mind that he was not all his fancy
and statements painted him, and while
he was talking 50 engaglngly endeav-
ored to "take him in" But could not
imagine what his object was, assuming
that he was a counterfeit, inasmuch as
be had distinctly stated that there was no
charges for freight; he also said there
we're no custom house duties, the officials
at Philadelphia having consented tina.
the contents of the box, being intended
as a present, might enter the United
States free Of charge, as though they
were for the Metropolitan Museum OF
Art or other public institution.
Fifteen or twenty minutes passed
in general talk, and then there came
slight lull in the conversation. Ichanged
my position in my chair in tine endeavor
to hint that it was about time to bring
the interview to an end; he took the hint
and rose to 90, remarking, as he did so,
that he would send the box by express
that very afternoon. lie was returning
to Philadelphia at once, having run over
to New York for some custom house aud
other business, and I would be in posses
sion of my curios the next morning. l
thanked him and rendered cigar, which
he accepted unhesitatingly. My suspi-
ciou that be was an impOstOr had been
pretty thoroughly dispelled by the
knowledge he had displayed of Asiatic
ports and waters and OF marine life in
general, and by the absence Of any re-
quest for money.
As we neared the door leading from
the parloz to the hall he suddenly stopped
and said:
sob, by the way, l told you there
we're no charges on the box. forgot
the wharf charges at Philadelphia; that
is all you'll have to pay"
'Indeedl" l answered, my suspicion
returning. "How much are those
chargesl'
"Two dollars and sixteen cents" he
answered.
"Ahl" l said, "that's a mere triae.
Have you bill for theml"
"Oh, no, I have no bill; the purser
pays those charges to the whariman and
asked me to collect the amount from you,
If saw you"
"Certainly," answered. "Just let
that come as a collect charge with the
box"
'We couldn't do that" he said, "be-
cause we sail tomorrow morning"
SIN that case" suggested, "let your
consignees IN Philadelphia pay the
amount, send me the bill aud l will re-
nit. They will be entirely safe, as they
can hold the box for security until they
receive the money"
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