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The skipper was not displeased with the 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 them 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 again 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 sunup, 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.
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