Chapter Summary: That Little Square Box

Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Setting and Characters

• The story takes place on a ship named the Spartan, traveling from America to England.
• The narrator is a nervous man who prefers solitude and seeks out quiet spots on the deck.
• He encounters two secretive men: Mr. Flannigan (tall, thin, and nervous) and Mr. Muller (short and brisk).

The Suspicious Behavior

• The narrator overhears Flannigan and Muller discussing a secretive plan involving a "little square box."
• The men seem anxious about being discovered and mention that missing the ship would have ruined their plans.
• They handle the box delicately, fearing any shaking might trigger it prematurely.
• The narrator observes the box, which resembles a pistol case but is taller, featuring a trigger mechanism and a small opening.
• He watches Muller pour whitish grains into the box, which he assumes is part of a fuse or explosive mechanism.

The Narrator’s Fear

• Based on overheard fragments of conversation—such as "make a sensation," "noise in the newspapers," and "let it off"—the narrator concludes the men are criminals or anarchists.
• He believes the box contains an infernal machine (a bomb) designed to destroy the ship and kill all passengers.
• Paralyzed by indecision, the narrator debates whether to alert the Captain or confront the men but fears he might be mistaken or ignored.
• He decides to hide in a lifeboat to spy on them, as they planned to execute their task at ten o'clock that night.

The Climax

• At night, the two men place the box on the deck, unknowingly positioning it directly near the narrator's hiding spot.
• They count down the minutes to ten o'clock in a tense whisper.
• Overcome by terror and the desire to save the passengers, the narrator screams and springs out from the lifeboat just as they are about to pull the trigger.
• He accuses them of plotting to shed the blood of two hundred souls.

The Resolution and Twist

• The two men are startled, initially thinking the narrator is a ghost or a madman.
• Flannigan pins the narrator against the vessel's side while Muller pulls the trigger.
• Instead of an explosion, the box opens with a sharp snap, releasing two grey carrier pigeons.
• The "bomb" was actually a specially designed trap for a pigeon-flying contest.
• The "whitish grains" were bird feed, and the secrecy was required because ship captains generally disliked sporting events aboard their vessels.
• A newspaper extract from the New York Herald later confirms the event was a novel match between Flannigan and Muller; Muller's bird won the race back to land.