LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2445, 6 February 1882, Page 4

LITERATURE.

THAT LITTLE SQUARE BOX. {“ London Society,”) {Continued, ) *ls that yon, Hammond ? ’ said a voice which I seemed to recognise. * God bless me,’ I said as I turned round, ‘it can’t be Dick Merton ! Why, how are yon, old man ? * This was an unexpected piece of luck in the midst of my perplexities, Dick was just the man I wanted ; kindly and shrewd In his nature, and prompt in hia actions, I should have no difficulty In telling him my suspicions, and could rely upon bis sound sense to point out the best course to pursue. Since I was a little lad in the second form at Harrow, Dick had been my adviser and protector. He saw at a glance that something had gone wrong with me. ‘ Hullo 1' he said, in his kindly way, ‘what’s put you about, Hammond? You look as white as a sheet. Mai do mer, eh ? ’ 1 No, not that altogether,’ said I. ‘Walk up and down with me, Dick ; I want to speak to you. Give me your arm.’ Supporting myself on Dick’s stalwart frame, 1 tottered along by his side ; but it was some time before I could muster reaction to speak. ‘ Have a cigar ? ’ said ho, breaking the silence. ‘No thanks, ’ said I, ‘Dick, we shall be all corpses to-night.’ ‘ That’s no reason against your having a cigar now,’ said Dick in his cool way, but looking hard at me from under hia shaggy eyebrows as he spoke. He evidently thought that my intellect was a little gone. ‘No,’ I continued, ‘it's no laughing matter, and I speak in sober earnest I assure you. I have discovered an infamous conspiracy, Dick, to destroy this ship and every soul that is in her; ’ and 1 then proceeded systematically and in order to lay before him the chain of evidence which 1 had collected. ‘ There Dick,’ I said as I concluded, ‘ what do yon think of that, and above all what am I to do ? ’ To my astonishment he burst into a hearty fit of laughter. * I’d be frightened,’ he said, ‘ if any fellow but you had told me as much. You always had a way, Hammond, of discovering mares’ neats. 1 like to oee the old traits breaking out again. Do yon remember at school how you swore there was a ghost in the long room, and how it turned out to be your own reflection in the mirror? Why, man,’he continued, * what object would any one have in destroying this ship ? We have no great political guns aboard. On the contrary, the majority of the passengers are Americans. Besides, in this sober nineteenth century, the most wholesale murderers stop at including themselves among their victims. Depend upon it you have misunderstood them, and have mistaken a photographic camera, or something equally innocent, for an infernal machine.’ ‘Nothing of the sort, sir,’ said I rather touchily. ‘ You will learn to your cost, I fear, that I have neither exaggerated nor misinterpreted a word. As to the box, I have certainly never before seen one like it. It contained delicate machinery ; of that I am convinced, from the way in which the men handled it and spoke of it.’ * You’ll make out every packet of perish, able goods to be a torpedo,’ said Dick, *lf that is to be yonr only test.’ • The man’s name w&a Flannigan, ’ I continued.

‘ I don’t think that would go very far In a court of law,’ said Dick ; ‘ but come, I have finished my cigar. Suppose we go down together and split a bottle of claret. You can point out these two Orainla to mo If they are still in tho cabin. ’ ‘All right,’ I answered; ‘I am determined not to lose sight of them all day Don’t look hard at them, though ; fori don’t want them to think that they are being watched.’ ‘ Trust me,’ said Dick; * I’ll look as unconscious and guileless as a lamb,’ and with that we passed down the companion and into the saloon. A good many passengers were scattered about the great central table, some wrestling with refractory carnet bags aud rugstraps, some having their luncheon, and a few reading and otherwise amusing themselves. The objects of our quest were not there. We passed down the roi'm and peered into every berth, but there was no sign of them. ‘ Heavens !’ thought I, ‘ perhaps at this very moment they are beneath our feet, In the hold or engine-room, preparing their diabolical contrivance 1’ It was better to know the worst than to remain in such suspense. * Steward,’ said Diok, ‘are there any other gentlemen about ?’ ‘There’s two In the smoking room, sir,’ answered the steward. The smoking-room was a little snuggery, luxuriously fitted np and adjoining the pantry. We pushed the door open and entered. A sigh of relief escaped from my bosom. Tho very first object on which my eye rested was the cadaverous face of Plannigan, with its hard-set mouth and unwinking eye. His companion sat opposite to him. They were both drinking, and a pile of cards lay upon the table. They were engaged in playing as we entered. I nudged Dick to show him that we hsd fonnd our quarry, and we sat down beside them with as unconcerned an air as possible. The two conspirators seemed to take little notice of onr presence. I watched them both narrowly. “ The game at which they were playing was • Napoleon.’ Both were adepts at it; and I oould not help admiring the oon-ummate nerve of men who, with such a secret at their hearts, could devote their minds to the manipulating of a long suit or the finessing of a queen. Money changed hands rapidly ; but the ran of luck seemed to be all against the taller of the two players. At last be threw down his cards on tho table with an oath, and refused to go on. ‘No, I’m hanged if I do!’ ho said. I haven’t had more than two of a suit for five hand.’ ‘ Never mind,’ said hia comrade, as he gathered np his winnings ; ‘ a few dollars one way or the other won’t go very far after to-night’s work.’ 1 was astonished at the rascal’s audacity, but toek care to keep my eyes fixed abstractedly upon the ceiling, and drank my wine in as unconscious a manner as possible. I felt that Flannigan was looking towards me with hia wolfish eyes to see (if I bad noticed the allusion. He whispered something to his companion, which I failed to catoh. It was a caution, I suppose, for the other answered rather angrily,— ‘ Nonsense ! Why shouldn't I say what I like ? Over-cantion is just what would ruin ns.’ * I believe you want it not to come off,’ said Flannigan. ‘You believe nothing of the sort,’ said the other, speaking rapidly and loudly. ‘You know as well as I do that when I play for a stake I like to win it. Bat I won’t have my words criticised and out short by you or any other man ; I have as much Interest ia our success as yon have—more, I hope.’ He was quite hot about it, and puffed furiously at his cigar for some minutes. The eyes of the other ruffian wandered alternately from Dick Merton to myself. I knew that I was in the presence of a desperate man, that a quiver of my lip might be the signal for him to plunge a weapon Into my heart; bnt I betrayed more self-command than I should have given myself credit for under such trying circumstances. Ah to Diok, he was as immovable and apparently as unconscious as the Fgyptian sphinx, There was silence for some time In the smoking room, broken only by the crisp rattle of the cards, as the man Muller shuffled them up before replacing them In his pocket. He still seemed to be somewhat flashed and irritable. Throwing the end of the cigar into the spittoon, he glanced defiantly at his companion and turned towards me, ‘ Can you tell me, sir,’ he said, ' when this ship will be heard of again ? ’ They were both looking at me, bnt though my face may have turned a trifler paler, my voice was as steady as ever as I answered, ‘I presume, sir, that it will bo heard of first when it enters Queenstown Harbor,’ ‘Ha, ha !’laughed the angry little man, • I knew you would say that. ‘ Don’t you kick me under the table, Flannigan, I won’t stand it. I know what I am doing. Yon are wrong sir,’ he continued, turning to me, ‘ utterly wrong,’ ‘ Some passing ship, perhaps,’ suggested Dick. ‘No, nor that either.’ ‘The weather ia fine,’ I said ; ‘why should we not be heard of at our destination F ’ ‘ I didn’t say wo shouldn’t be heard of at our destination. No doubt we shall in the course of time, but that is not where wo shall be heard of first. 1 * Where then ?’ asked Diok. ‘That you will never know. Suffice it that a rapid and mysterious agency will signal our whereabouts, and that before the day is out. Ha, ha !’ aud he chuckled once again. ‘ Come on deck !' growled hia comrade; ‘ you have drunk too much of that confounded brandy and water. It has loosened your tongue. Come away I’ and taking him by the arm he half led him, half forced him out of the smoking room, and we heard them stumbling up the companion together, and on to the deck, ‘ Well, what do you think now ?’ I gasped, as I turned towards Dick. He was as imperturbable as ever. ‘Think!’ he said, ‘ why, I think what his companion thinks, that we have been listening to the ravings of a half-drunken man. The fellow stunk of brandy.’ ‘Nonsense, Diok! you saw how the other tried to stop his tongue.’ * Of course he did. Ha didn’t want his friend to make a fool of himself before arrangers. Maybe the short one is a lunatic, and the other his private keeper. It’s quite possible.’ * O Dick, Dick,’ I cried, ‘ how can you bo so blind ! Don’t see that every word confirmed our previous suspicion ?’ ‘ flumbng, man!' said Dick’; ‘you’re working yourself into a state ot nervous excitement. Why, what the devil do you make of all that nonsense about a mysterious agent which would signal our whereabouts?’ ‘ I’ll toll you what ho meant, i-ick,’ I said, heading forward and grasping my friend’s arm, ‘ He meant a sudden glare and a flash seen far out at sea by some lonely fisherman off the American coast. That’s what he meant. ’ ‘ I didn’t think you were such a fool, Hammond,’ said Dick Merton testily. ‘lf yon try to fix a literal meaning on tho twaddle that every drunken man talks, you will oome to seme queer conclusions. Let ua follow their example, and go on deck. You need fresh air, I think. Depend upon it, your liver Is out of order. A sea voyage will do you a world of good.’ ‘ If ever I see the end of this one, ’ I groaned, ‘ I’ll promise never to venture on another. They are laying the cloth, so it’s hardly worth while my going up. I’ll stay below and finish my tmoke.’ ‘I hope dinner will find you in a more pleasant state of mind,’ said Diok ; and ha went out, leaving me to my thoughts until tho olang of the great gong summoned ns to the saloon. My appetite, I need hardly say, had not been Improved by the incidents which had occurred daring the day. I sat down, however, mechanically at the table, and listened to the talk which was going on around me. There were nearly a hundred first class passengers, and as the wine began to circulate, their voices combined with the clash of the dishes to form a perfect Babel. I found myself seated between a very stout and nervous old lady and a prim little clergyman ; and as neither made any advances 1 retired into my shell, and spent my time In observing the appearance of my fellowvoyagers. I could see Diok in the dim distance dividing his attentions between a jointless fowl in front of him snd a selfpossessed young lady at his side. Captain Dowie was doing the heno s at my end, while the surgeon of the vessel was seated at the other. 1 was glad to notice that Flan-

nigan wu placed almost opposite to me. As long as I had him before my eyes I knew that, for the time at least, we were safe. He was sitting with what was meant to bo a sociable smile on his grim face. It did not escape me that he drank largely of wine—so largely that even before the desert appeared his voice had become decidedly husky. His friend Muller was seated a few places lower down. He ate little, and appeared to he nervous and restless. ‘Now, ladles,’ said our genial captain,’ ‘ I trust that you will consider yourselves at homo aboard my vessel. I have no fears for the gentlemen. A bottle of champagne, steward. Here’s to a fresh breeze and a quick passage ! I trust our friends in America will hear of our safe arrival in twelve days, or a fortnight at the very latest.’ I looked up. Quick as was the glance which passed between Elacnigan and his confederate, I was able to intercept it. There was an evil smile npon the former’s thin lips. The conversation rippled on. Politics, the sea, amusements, rebgion, each was in turn discussed. I remained a silent though an interested listener. It struck me that no harm could bo done by introducing the sub. jeot which was ever in my mind. It could be managed in an off-hand way, and would at least have the effect of turning the captain’s thoughts in that direction. I conld watch, too, what effect it would have upon the faces of the conspirators. There was a sudden lull in the conversation. The ordinary subjects of Interest appeared to bo exhausted. The opportunity was a favorable one. (To be continued )