THE MYSTERIOUS CASE.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 25, 24 November 1883, Page 4

THE MYSTERIOUS CASE.

Wjc noticed him, 1 .remember, from the ▼cry first ; and we had three good reasons for doing so. In the first place, he was the ▼»ry last passenger on board, arriving indeed just when the bell was ringing as a ngnal to clear the ship. In the second place, he was rather a re-markable-looking fellow altogether — tall, gaunt, sallow, and stern, with a long, lean Face, and a cold, grey eye, and, as we all declared, a manifest air of mystery about kirn, even from the beginning. > Last,' but by no means least, of our grounds of suspicion was the fact that our mysterious fellow - passenger brought on board with him an oblong -wooden box, very much like an overgrown pistol-cose, of which he seemed far more careful than of the well-worn leather portmanteau which was the only other article of baggage thai he seemed to possess. It was evidently not very heavy, for om sailor shouldered it with ease. It could not be called inconveniently large, for when its master begged to be allowed to keep it in bis state-room instead of stowing it in the hold, neither captain or purser made the slightest objection. It was not labelled " Glass with Care,*' or anything of that sort, as we could all see for ourselves ; and yet its master I.*1 .* nervous anxiety lest it should be damaged or even bumped against anything hard was so marked that everyone began to have dismal suspicions as to its possible contents. But just at first w^e had something else to think about, for the first three days of our voyage were a perfect chapter of accidents. Tooegin with, we were thrown late a* €tarting by having to wait more than an hour tor the mail. Then, when we wen V just outside, on came a fog, which forced us to lie-to till late in the afternoon, keepup all the while a chorus of bells and foghorns worthy of a Chinese wedding. And as soon as the fog cleared, it was succeeded by a pour of rain which inspired a facetious saloon passenger to ask the captain, at dinner time, whether fishing was allowed on the after-deck. But by the morning of the fourth day the gale seemed to have spent its force, and we Mrere at 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 anyone, and always answered aB shortly as possible (when he answered at all) whenever anyone spoke to him. As for the box itself, it was a 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 meddling with the precious package if they got the chance, he spent most of his time below, end as he had taken a whole .-state-room for himself (or, rather, for himself and his box), there was no risk of any«one disturbingfchim there. "I think he s- a Fenian carrying over one •of those dynamite torpedoes to Liverpool," rsaid a young {British officer, homeward « bound from Canada. •'More likely a bank clerk absconding i with specie," 'jgrunted a big, red-faced vcotton-spinner from Lancashire. "Box ain't heavy enough for that, 1 ' »objected a lanky iNew Yorker. " Perhaps, after all, it's nothing more than.acare statue or picture foi -some museum '" Everyone' looked disappointed, for thi1 last idea, which had -somehow never occurret. rto us, now seemed natural and likely -enough, and it was a sad come-down aftei .<all our romantioiimaginings. But just then atoew turn was given to the • discussion by a long, wary, keen -eyed youth who had hithento been perfectly silent. Taking his short-pipe out of hw mouth, he said, slowly and emphatically : "'Tain'fc tfcut, boys; but I reckon I could tell yen what it is P* "What? What?" cried everyone, •mgerly. •* A baby," answered the Yankee youth, with -the solemnity of perfect conviction. f At. this there was* shout of laughter, so uproarious that a passing steward peered :amazedly into the sieoking-aoom to see what all the fun could be About. But the gentleimstn was not a whit Abashed. "Laugh as much as you like, boys ; but what I say I stick to. Every day, regular, -at breakfast and attea,.l'.ve seen that critter .after he'd had his share, start for his stateroom with a cup of milk and & hunk o' ibread, and if that don't wean a baby some whar roun\ I'm a Mexikin ?" There was a general atari, ior we now remembered to nave seen the stranger do -this, and wondered that we had not it before. For a few moments everyone was in high «left.at the apparent solution of the riddle ; m*C the remorseless New Yorker speedily ib&ghted our new-born happiness. " You're consid'able out there, steanger," «bjoctedJwVv"farsbe baby that could be r jjEa^^«^#««bdirH irfrip, or anywhere else ij^^,^lftuul tme squall, has got Tre got three of rm^^B^al ougetto khow." ■• . Tnv'snanswerable argutfeent threw us 4^l, back to where we were*feelbi£, and a jQptien sifencef olio wed, broken 6tl6ty£th by on» of the briskest and boldest Spirits of our company '•".Baby or no baby," said he firmly, 4 *Tni bcund to get at the ins and outs of this job, somehow. Either I'll know what* innide that box before it goes ashore* or I'll ; never leave this ship again 1" j But this valiant pledge seemed likely to g« «ftredeemed after all ; for, as if the «ml *>f mystery- had known of the plot hatching against him, he seemed to be, if jtowible, more viligant than ever. Day followed day, until at length we «arne in sight of Queenstown, where the steamer was to land, and the secret of the box was a secret still. But the time came at last. Breakfast was hardly over that morning, when a vteward tapped at the door of the atrangei — who had retired as usual with his mill» and bread — announcing that the captain wanted him. Scarcely had he disappeared when the youth popped into his room. TKe next moment » terrible cry startled us ail,- and, rushing to the spot, we found the mystic box open, ana the youth struggling in the coils of a huge black and white snake ! For a moment all was confusion, but the stranger, who had just returned, sprang like lightning to, the breakfast table, filled a cup .with milk, and set it in front of the snake, fcwtaptly the latter unwound itself from ite captive, who reeled' helplessly against the wall. " You'remore frightened than hurt, younj. Feller. 1 " said his rescuer, coolly, " for thi* make's quite a harmless sort, and as tarn« A»,a pot cat into the bargain. I kept him ,4*rk. while I could, for I didn't want him , hurt, after stum pin' all Louisiana to git him for the London Zoological ; but you'd best not touch him agin, ior his breed's mighty fond of a £001, and I guess that's why he w *bl|pry to git hold of y w/"— "Tit