I knew the captain might return at any time, and I made hurry. This package contained a clock, the like of which I had never seen before. It was an alarm clock, and I had never before even heard about that kind of clock. I look at it for a while, and I wondered what that little bell on the top was for. This was something new which I had to investigate. Then I began to turn the winding keys on the bacck of the clock, one after the other. All at once the alarm was started, giving me a shock that nearly made me drop the thing. The captain might come any minute, and this clock was ringing like a fire alarm. It was enough to wake the dead. And how could I stop it? I tried to turn the various keys to stop it, but to no avail. It continued the most fearful disturbance, and I began to think of throwing it overboard or do something violent to stop it. But I hated to be discovered in my meddling curiosity. What was I to do with this wild clock? I felt sure it would be ruined. But, really, I was getting so nervous I could hardly stand on my legs. It would be a pleasant reception for the captain and a fine greeting between us if he came now while the witch-dance was in progress. The prospect for me was serious, to put it mildly. It is a saying that, 'curiosity killed the cat', but here I had fingered myself into a trap whence I could not see my way out. It was not a physical controversy I feared, but the gnawin chagrin at having stuck my curious nose into his affairs. After what seemed hours, but really it was only a couple of minutes, to my great relief, the clock stopped its furious roar. Then I repacked it hurriedly. I had lost all desire to look at the contents of more packages. I was cured. But ask me if I remember the first alarm clock I saw. I believe I could remember if it was ten times the 60 years that have now elapsed. The captain placed the clock on the wall in the cabin. Nobody found out that I had investigated it, and knew some of the terrible secrets of its interior construction. When the captain, later on, made a careful explanation of its many advantageous fetaures I wished, but did not say so, that that clock was where the pepper thrives.
Chapter LIII