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compliment, and went on:--
"When we got past the Bosphorus the men began to grumble; some o' them,
the Roumanians, came and asked me to heave overboard a big box which had
been put on board by a queer lookin' old man just before we had started
frae London. I had seen them speer at the fellow, and put out their twa
fingers when they saw him, to guard against the evil eye. Man! but the
supersteetion of foreigners is pairfectly rideeculous! I sent them aboot
their business pretty quick; but as just after a fog closed in on us I
felt a wee bit as they did anent something, though I wouldn't say it was
agin the big box. Well, on we went, and as the fog didn't let up for
five days I joost let the wind carry us; for if the Deil wanted to get
somewheres--well, he would fetch it up a'reet. An' if he didn't, well,
we'd keep a sharp lookout anyhow. Sure eneuch, we had a fair way and
deep water all the time; and two days ago, when the mornin' sun came
through the fog, we found ourselves just in the river opposite Galatz.
The Roumanians were wild, and wanted me right or wrong to take out the
box and fling it in the river. I had to argy wi' them aboot it wi' a
handspike; an' when the last o' them rose off the deck wi' his head in
his hand, I had convinced them that, evil eye or no evil eye, the
property and the trust of my owners were better in my hands than in the
river Danube. They had, mind ye, taken the box on the deck ready to
fling in, and as it was marked Galatz _via_ Varna, I thocht I'd let it
lie till we discharged in the port an' get rid o't althegither. We
didn't do much clearin' that day, an' had to remain the nicht at anchor;
but in the mornin', braw an' airly, an hour before sun-up, a man came
aboard wi' an order, written to him from England, to receive a box
marked for one Count Dracula. Sure eneuch the matter was one ready to
his hand. He had his papers a' reet, an' glad I was to be rid o' the
dam' thing, for I was beginnin' masel' to feel uneasy at it. If the Deil
did have any luggage aboord the ship, I'm thinkin' it was nane ither
than that same!"
"What was the name of the man who took it?" asked Dr. Van Helsing with
restrained eagerness.
"I'll be tellin' ye quick!" he answered, and, stepping down to his
cabin, produced a receipt signed "Immanuel Hildesheim." Burgen-strasse
16 was the address. We found out that this was all the Captain knew; so
with thanks we came away.
We found Hildesheim in his office, a Hebrew of rather the Adelphi
Theatre type, with a nose like a sheep, and a fez. His arguments were
pointed with specie--we doing the punctuation--and with a little
bargaining he told us what he knew. This turned out to be simple but
important. He had received a letter from Mr. de Ville of London, telling
him to receive, if possible before sunrise so as to avoid customs, a box
which would arrive at Galatz in the _Czarina Catherine_. This he was to
give in charge to a certain Petrof Skinsky, who dealt with the Slovaks
who traded down the river to the port. He had been paid for his work by
an English bank note, which had been duly cashed for gold at the Danube
International Bank. When Skinsky had come to him, he had taken him to
the ship and handed over the box, so as to save porterage. That was all
he knew.
We then sought for Skinsky, but were unable to find him. One of his
neighbours, who did not seem to bear him any affection, said that he had
gone away two days before, no one knew whither. This was corroborated by
his landlord, who had received by messenger the key of the house
together with the rent due, in English money. This had been between ten
and eleven o'clock last night. We were at a standstill again.
Whilst we were talking one came running and breathlessly gasped out that
the body of Skinsky had been found inside the wall of the churchyard of
St. Peter, and that the throat had been torn open as if by some wild
animal. Those we had been speaking with ran off to see the horror, the
women crying out "This is the work of a Slovak!" We hurried away lest we
should have been in some way drawn into the affair, and so detained.
As we came home we could arrive at no definite conclusion. We were all
convinced that the box was on its way, by water, to somewhere; but where
that might be we would have to discover. With heavy hearts we came home
to the hotel to Mina.
When we met together, the first thing was to consult as to taking Mina
again into our confidence. Things are getting desperate, and it is at
least a chance, though a hazardous one. As a preliminary step, I was
released from my promise to her.
_Mina Harker's Journal._
_30 October, evening._--They were so tired and worn out and dispirited
that there was nothing to be done till they had some rest; so I asked
them all to lie down for half an hour whilst I should enter everything
up to the moment. I feel so grateful to the man who invented the
"Traveller's" typewriter, and to Mr. Morris for getting this one for
me. I should have felt quite; astray doing the work if I had to write
with a pen....
It is all done; poor dear, dear Jonathan, what he must have suffered,
what must he be suffering now. He lies on the sofa hardly seeming to
breathe, and his whole body appears in collapse. His brows are knit; his
face is drawn with pain. Poor fellow, maybe he is thinking, and I can
see his face all wrinkled up with the concentration of his thoughts. Oh!
if I could only help at all.... I shall do what I can.
I have asked Dr. Van Helsing, and he has got me all the papers that I
have not yet seen.... Whilst they are resting, I shall go over all
carefully, and perhaps I may arrive at some conclusion. I shall try to