Brave New Mouse: Ellis Island Approved Immigrant Book #5
The ship was carrying hundreds maybe thousands of people They were all tightly pressed next to one another Maximilian saw men women and children of all ages sitting on top of one another These were not the wealthy passengers of a fine Southern paddleboat These people looked scared tired and downtrodden Maximilian climbed back down from the crate He nearly slipped on more than one occasion rattled from what he had just seen He made his way through the boxes and bags and back to the time machine He would wait the day out inside it if he needed to At least there he felt safe As he turned the corner of the last crate he neared the time machine Maximilian watched in horror as the time machine swayed to one side with the next lurch of the boat The time machine teetered unsteadily for a brief moment and then tipped over with a loud crash
Chapter 2 FROZEN maximilian was horrified by the sight of the time machine lying on its side The blood slowly drained from his face Before he could fully understand what had happened the boat rolled again The egg shaped time machine rolled back to its normal position Maximilian jumped into action He grabbed a nearby leather luggage strap and ran two quick laps around the time machine He tightened the belt as much as he could Then he fastened it and breathed an uneasy sigh of relief Maximilian began to carefully examine the time machine The acorn shell was strong But he almost immediately saw a long clean crack down the left side The crack did not appear to be very deep He hoped it proved to be nothing
Without warning the boat rode over another large wave The time machine securely fastened to the luggage did not budge A large wooden trunk with metal buckles rested next to Maximilian It must have been fairly heavy because when the ship turned violently the trunk stood firm This chest must have belonged to an owner who had endured much in order to be on this boat Its straps were worn and its finish was faded Boldly stamped on the side beneath the key lock was a bright red seal Maximilian was still feeling the effects of the time machine's spinning He braced himself against the trunk to read From Dublin Ireland To New York City U S A October 9 1920 General Fare Paid in Full Maximilian felt as though he was being toyed with The month and day were close
to the ones he had set into the time machine's panel But the year was off He slammed his paw against the trunk in frustration He had landed less than twenty minutes ago and had already found himself in a scary situation The time machine was damaged and he was no closer to Tanner's Glen Before he could vent any more his sensitive ears picked up something He paused to determine where the sound was coming from Carefully climbing between two crates and over a box of supplies Maximilian found the source of the noise He saw a girl sobbing Maximilian watched quietly from a safe distance The girl wore a long brown dress with ankle high leather shoes Her dress was simple and plain It was nowhere near as fancy as the dresses Maximilian had seen on the Mississippi steamship or even in Silver Springs The girl's red hair was in a long ponytail When she removed her hands from her face she exposed rose colored cheeks and fair skin
