The two young men looked at each other with speculation in their eyes.
“Lay off it, Joe,” warned Jim, as a thought struck him. “Perhaps it’s an infernal machine.”
“Nonsense,” laughed Joe, though the laugh was a little forced. “Who’d send me anything like that?”
“There are plenty who might,” affirmed Jim, earnestly. “Remember those crooks we saw at the game the other day! They hate you for exposing them. I wouldn’t put anything past them. They’d go to all lengths to injure you.”
Joe took out his flashlight and sent the intense beam all over the sides of the box. Suddenly he uttered an ejaculation, and pointed to a number of small holes, not visible on a casual inspection.
“Look!” he cried. “Air holes! Jim, there’s some living thing in that box!”
[CHAPTER XX]
THE PACKAGE OF MYSTERY
“A living thing!” exclaimed Jim, in wonderment.