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home, disappointed, rage anawing at his heart.

Al night he lay in anguizh. That he, the champion smasher, should fail at an ordinary wooden box was bad enough, but

CHE CTOOK A MIGITTY SWING WITH FPHE ll.\.\l,\llil\‘."

(he noble fellow felt most for the reputation ol his employers. That any package should cscape uninjured from that line would involve a loss of prestige terrible to think ()‘.. |

Next morning, wearied and dispirited, he borrowed a sledge-hammer. ‘Taking (he box into a quict corner, and divesting himsclf of his coat, he took a mighty swing with the hammer, and brought it down with all his force upon the lid. The ham- mer-head flew into a million fragments, and the shaft jerked away into space. The box actually scemed to smile at him. FPoor 311 went sorrowfully away, and, feaving a request that the box be till kept at the station (for, at least, he could delav it), he paid for the sledge-hammer and took to his bed. It was as well he did. 1or he wis 20 down in the mouth as quite to lose his regular form, and probably

would have failed at an ordinary packing-case. After a while, however, a notion

~truck Bill. He jumped up and holted downstairs shouting ** Eureka ! ” Poor Bill didn't know what the word meant, you see, but he had a sort of general hotion that it was the correct thing to

JII STR AN M AGALINT

dout when you ran downstairs without waiting to dress. He went back, however, and put on his uniform, because it struck him that the thing should be done in style, and with all proper form and ceremony. Then he went ol to the depd, feeling like Q4 New 1an.

He drageed the tunk a littde along the line, and shoved it acress the rails just as the late express came up. Then he lay by and waited.

Presently the express came along. Dill sat up and looked for his vindication. There was a rush, a roar of fhity thunders, and the engine passed by with the cow catcher smashed off. 3 didu't trouble about the train, but rushed for the fragnients of the box.

Weep, O mountains of Adiron- dack ! Howl, O mighty catawam- | pus of the prairic! There lay the . bex without a mark ! A hittle

jonger, and perhaps a little flatter, Bill fancied, but then Bi s mind was a bit disordered, you sce.

Then Bill Irie’s herosm came out strong. A\ mighty conqueror cannot

curvive a defeat,” he sad. “ Thave Litherto been congueror among the de- strovers of trunks. will die, but my cnemy shall perish with me."” Withall his remaining strength the noble fellow drageced that box to the very top of

CorERE LAY CTHE BOX WITHOUT A MARK.”