ThewordsweresofaintlyprintedthatitwasnotsurprisingthatI
　　hadnotnoticedthematfirst。Pughexplained。
　　“Iobservedthatboxonatrayoutsideasecond-handfurnitureshop。Itstruckmyeye。Itookitup。Iexaminedit。Iinquiredoftheproprietoroftheshopinwhatthepuzzlelay。Herepliedthatthatwasmorethanhecouldtellme。Hehimselfhadmadeseveralattemptstoopenthebox，andallofthemhadfailed。I
　　purchasedit。Itookithome。Ihavetried，andIhavefailed。I
　　amaware，Tress，ofhowyouprideyourselfuponyouringenuity。I
　　cannotdoubtthat，ifyoutry，youwillnotfail。“
　　WhilePughwasprosing，Iwasexaminingthebox。Itwasatleastwellmade。Itweighedcertainlyundertwoounces。Istruckitwithmyknuckles；itsoundedhollow。Therewasnohinge；nothingofanykindtoshowthatiteverhadbeenopened，or，forthematterofthat，thatitevercouldbeopened。ThemoreIexaminedthething，themoreitwhettedmycuriosity。Thatitcouldbeopened，andinsomeingeniousmanner，Imadenodoubt——buthow？
　　Theboxwasnotanewone。AtaroughguessIshouldsaythatithadbeenaboxforagoodhalfcentury；therewerecertainsignsofageaboutitwhichcouldnotescapeapracticedeye。Haditremainedunopenedallthattime？Whenopened，whatwouldbefoundinside？ItSOUNDEDhollow；probablynothingatall——whocouldtell？
　　Itwasformedofsmallpiecesofinlaidwood。Severalwoodshadbeenused；someofthemwerestrangetome。Theywereofdifferentcolors；itwasprettyobviousthattheymustallofthemhavebeenhardwoods。Thepieceswereofvariousshapes——hexagonal，octagonal，triangular，square，oblong，andevencircular。Theprocessofinlayingthemhadbeenbeautifullydone。Sonicelyhadthepartsbeenjoinedthatthelinesofmeetingweredifficulttodiscoverwiththenakedeye；theyhadbeenjoinedsolid，sotospeak。Itwasanexcellentexampleofmarquetry。Ihadbeenover-
　　hastyinmydeprecation；IowedasmuchtoPugh。
　　“ThisboxofyoursisbetterworthlookingatthanIfirstsupposed。Isittobesold？“
　　“No，itisnottobesold。Nor“——he“fixed“mewithhisspectacles——“isittobegivenaway。Ihavebroughtittoyouforthesimplepurposeofascertainingifyouhaveingenuityenoughtoopenit。“
　　“Iwillengagetoopenitintwoseconds——withahammer。“
　　“Idaresay。Iwillopenitwithahammer。Thethingistoopenitwithout。“
　　“Letmesee。“Ibegan，withtheaidofamicroscope，toexaminetheboxmoreclosely。“Iwillgiveyouonepieceofinformation，Pugh。UnlessIammistaken，thesecretliesinoneoftheselittlepiecesofinlaidwood。Youpushit，oryoupressit，orsomething，andthewholeaffairfliesopen。“
　　“Suchwasmyownfirstconviction。Iamnotsosureofitnow。I
　　havepressedeveryseparatepieceofwood；Ihavetriedtomoveeachpieceineverydirection。Noresulthasfollowed。Mytheorywasahiddenspring。“
　　“Buttheremustbeahiddenspringofsomesort，unlessyouaretoopenitbyamereexerciseofforce。Isupposetheboxisempty。“
　　“Ithoughtitwasatfirst，butnowIamnotsosureofthateither。Italldependsonthepositioninwhichyouholdit。Holditinthisposition——likethis——closetoyourear。Haveyouasmallhammer？“Itookasmallhammer。“Tapitsoftly，withthehammer。Don’tyounoticeasortofreverberationwithin？“
　　Pughwasright，therecertainlywassomethingwithin；somethingwhichseemedtoechobackmytapping，almostasifitwerealivingthing。Imentionedthis，toPugh。
　　“Butyoudon’tthinkthatthereissomethingaliveinsidethebox？
　　Therecan’tbe。Theboxmustbeairtight，probablyasmuchair-
　　tightasanexhaustedreceiver。“
　　“Howdoweknowthat？Howcanwetellthatnominuteintersticeshavebeenleftfortheexpresspurposeofventilation？“I
　　continuedtappingwiththehammer。Inoticedonepeculiarity，thatitwasonlywhenIheldtheboxinaparticularposition，andtappedatacertainspot，therecametheansweringtapsfromwithin。“Itellyouwhatitis，Pugh，whatIhearisthereverberationofsomemachinery。“
　　“Doyouthinkso？“
　　“I’msureofit。“
　　“Givetheboxtome。“Pughputtheboxtohisear。Hetapped。
　　“Itsoundstomeliketheechoingtick，tickofsomegreatbeetle；
　　likethesortofnoisewhichadeathwatchmakes，youknow。“
　　TrustPughtofindaremarkableexplanationforasimplefact；iftheexplanationleanstowardthesupernatural，somuchthemoresatisfactorytoPugh。Iknewbetter。
　　“Thesoundwhichyouhearismerelythethrobbingorthetremblingofthemechanismwithwhichitisintendedthattheboxshouldbeopened。Themechanismisplacedjustwhereyouaretappingitwiththehammer。Everytapcausesittojar。“
　　“Itsoundstomelikethetickingofadeathwatch。However，onsuchsubjects，Tress，Iknowwhatyouare。“
　　“MydearPugh，giveitanextrahardtap，andyouwillsee。“
　　Hegaveitanextrahardtap。Themomenthehaddoneso，hestarted。
　　“I’vedoneitnow。“
　　“Whathaveyoudone？“
　　“Brokensomething，Ifancy。“Helistenedintently，withhiseartothebox。“No——itseemsallright。AndyetIcouldhaveswornI
　　haddamagedsomething；Ihearditsmash。“
　　“Givemethebox。“Hegaveitme。Inmyturn，Ilistened。I
　　shookthebox。Pughmusthavebeenmistaken。Nothingrattled；
　　therewasnotasound；theboxwasasemptyasbefore。Igaveasmarttapwiththehammer，asPughhaddone。Thentherecertainlywasacurioussound。Tomyear，itsoundedlikethesmashingofglass。“Iwonderifthereisanythingfragileinsideyourpreciouspuzzle，Pugh，and，ifso，ifweareshiveringitbydegrees？“
　　II
　　“WhatISthatnoise？“
　　Ilayinbedinthatcuriousconditionwhichisbetweensleepandwaking。When，atlast，IKNEWthatIwasawake，Iaskedmyselfwhatitwasthathadwokeme。SuddenlyIbecameconsciousthatsomethingwasmakingitselfaudibleinthesilenceofthenight。
　　ForsomesecondsIlayandlistened。ThenIsatupinbed。
　　“WhatISthatnoise？“
　　Itwaslikethetick，tickofsomelargeandunusuallyclear-tonedclock。Itmighthavebeenaclock，haditnotbeenthatthesoundwasvaried，everyhalfdozenticksorso，byasortofstifledscreech，suchasmighthavebeenutteredbysomesmallcreatureinanextremityofanguish。Igotoutofbed；itwasridiculoustothinkofsleepduringthecontinuationofthatuncannyshrieking。
　　Istruckalight。Thesoundseemedtocomefromtheneighborhoodofmydressing-table。Iwenttothedressing-table，thelightedmatchinmyhand，and，asIdidso，myeyesfellonPugh’smysteriousbox。Thatsameinstantthereissued，fromthebowelsofthebox，amoreuncomfortablescreechthananyIhadpreviouslyheard。IttookmesocompletelybysurprisethatIletthematchfallfrommyhandtothefloor。Theroomwasindarkness。I
　　stood，Iwillnotsaytrembling，listening——consideringtheirvolume——totheEERIESTshrieksIeverheard。Allatoncetheyceased。Thencamethetick，tick，tickagain。Istruckanothermatchandlitthegas。
　　Pughhadlefthispuzzleboxbehindhim。Wehaddoneallwecould，together，tosolvethepuzzle。HehadleftitbehindtoseewhatI
　　coulddowithitalone。SomuchhaditengrossedmyattentionthatIhadevenbroughtitintomybedroom，inorderthatImight，beforeretiringtorest，makeafinalattemptatthesolutionofthemystery。NOWwhatpossessedthething？
　　AsIstood，andlooked，andlistened，onethingbegantobecleartome，thatsomesortofmachineryhadbeensetinmotioninsidethebox。Howithadbeensetinmotionwasanothermatter。Buttheboxhadbeensubjectedtosomuchhandling，tosuchpressingandsuchhammering，thatitwasnotstrangeif，afterall，PughorIhadunconsciouslyhituponthespringwhichsetthewholethinggoing。Possiblythemechanismhadgotsorustythatithadrefusedtoactatonce。Ithadhungfire，andonlyaftersomehourshadsomethingorothersettheimprisonedmotivepowerfree。
　　Butwhataboutthescreeching？Couldtherebesomelivingcreatureconcealedwithinthebox？WasIlisteningtothecriesofsomesmallanimalinagony？Momentaryreflectionsuggestedthattheexplanationoftheonethingwastheexplanationoftheother。
　　Rust！——therewasthemystery。Thesamerustwhichhadpreventedthemechanismfromactingatoncewascausingthescreechingnow。
　　Theuncannysoundswerecausedbynothingmorenorlessthanthewantofadroportwoofoil。SuchanexplanationwouldnothavesatisfiedPugh，itsatisfiedme。
　　Pickingupthebox，Iplacedittomyear。
　　“Iwonderhowlongthislittleperformanceisgoingtocontinue。
　　Andwhatisgoingtohappenwhenitisgoodenoughtocease？I
　　hope“——anuncomfortablethoughtoccurredtome——“IhopePughhasn’tpickedupsomepleasantlittlenoveltyinthewayofaninfernalmachine。Itwouldbeafirst-ratejokeifheandIhadbeenendeavoringtosolvethepuzzleofhowtosetitgoing。“
　　Idon’tmindowningthatasthisreflectioncrossedmymindI
　　replacedPugh’spuzzleonthedressing-table。Theideadidnotcommenditselftomeatall。Theboxevidentlycontainedsomecuriousmechanism。Itmightbemorecuriousthancomfortable。
　　Possiblysomeagreeablelittledeviceinclockwork。Thetick，tick，ticksuggestedclockworkwhichhadbeenplannedtogoacertaintime，andthen——then，forallIknew，igniteanexplosive，and——blowup。ItwouldbeacharmingsolutiontothepuzzleifitweretoexplodewhileIstoodthere，inmynightshirt，lookingon。
　　Itistruethattheboxweighedverylittle。Probably，asIhavesaid，thewholeaffairwouldnothaveturnedthescaleatacoupleofounces。Butthenitsverylightnessmighthavebeenpartoftheingeniousinventor’slittlegame。Thereareexplosiveswithwhichonecanworkaverysatisfactoryamountofdamagewithconsiderablylessthanacoupleofounces。
　　WhileIwashesitating——Iownit！——whetherIhadnotbetterimmersePugh’spuzzleinacanofwater，orthrowitoutofthewindow，orcalldownBobwitharequesttoatonceremoveittohisapartment，boththetick，tick，tick，andthescreechingceased，andallwithintheboxwasstill。IfitWASgoingtoexplode，itwasnowornever。InstinctivelyImovedinthedirectionofthedoor。
　　Iwaitedwithacertainsenseofanxiety。Iwaitedinvain。
　　Nothinghappened，notevenarenewalofthesound。
　　“IwishPughhadkepthispreciouspuzzleathome。Thissortofthingtriesone’snerves。“
　　WhenIthoughtthatIperceivedthatnothingseemedlikelytohappen，Ireturnedtotheneighborhoodofthetable。Ilookedattheboxaskance。Itookitupgingerly。SomethingmightgooffatanymomentforallIknew。ItwouldbetoomuchofajokeifPugh’spreciouspuzzleexplodedinmyhand。Ishookitdoubtfully；
　　nothingrattled。Iheldittomyear。Therewasnotasound。
　　Whathadtakenplace？Hadtheclockworkrundown，andwasthemachinearrangedwithsuchadiabolicalingenuitythatacertainintervalwasrequired，aftertheclockworkhadrundown，beforeanexplosioncouldoccur？Orhadrustcausedthemechanismtoagainhangfire？
　　“Aftermakingallthatcommotionthethingmightatleastcomeopen。“Ibangedtheboxviciouslyagainstthecornerofthetable。
　　IfeltthatIwouldalmostratherthatanexplosionshouldtakeplacethanthatnothingshouldoccur。Onedoesnotcaretobedisturbedfromone’ssoundslumberinthesmallhoursofthemorningforatrifle。
　　“I’vehalfamindtogetahammer，andtry，astheysayinthecookerybooks，anotherway。“
　　UnfortunatelyIhadpromisedPughtoabstainfromusingforce。I
　　mighthaveshiveredtheboxopenwithmyhammer，andthenexplainedthatithadfallen，orgottrodupon，orsatupon，orsomething，andsogotshattered，onlyIwasafraidthatPughwouldnotbelieveme。Themanishimselfsuchanuntruthfulmanthatheisinachronicstateofsuspicionaboutthetruthfulnessofothers。
　　“Well，ifyou’renotgoingtoblowup，oropen，orsomething，I’llsaygoodnight。“
　　Igavetheboxafinalrapwithmyknucklesandafinalshake，replaceditonthetable，putoutthegas，andreturnedtobed。
　　Iwasjustsinkingagainintoslumber，whenthatboxbeganagain。
　　ItwastruethatPughhadpurchasedthepuzzle，butitwasevidentthatthewholeenjoymentofthepurchasewasdestinedtobemine。
　　Itwasuselesstothinkofsleepwhilethatperformancewasgoingon。Isatupinbedoncemore。