laughed his soft, tinkling
laugh.

"I'm going down to take a look at him now," he said, and the three of
them moved aft, out of sight.

Aye, I might have picked him off then. But I didn't even entertain the
thought. It was no part of my plan to slay from concealment. I was
the hero, the avenger, the saviour! I meant to face him in his own
lighted cabin.

The door of the roundhouse was closed, so I did not fear the inmates
would observe me entering the cabin. The break of the poop seemed
clear of life. I scuttled on my hands and knees until I was past the
booby-hatch; then I arose to my feet and flitted noiselessly to the
cabin door. I opened it just wide enough to admit my body, and stepped
into the lighted cabin alleyway.

My bare feet made no noise as I crept toward the saloon. This was the
first time I had set foot within the sacred precincts of the
quarterdeck. From the gossip of those who had been aft to sick-call,
or to break out stores, I had some notion of the lay of the land, but
not a very clear one.

There were three doors opening upon the alley-way; the one on the port
side was the inner door of the sail-locker, the two on the starboard
side let into the mates' rooms. That much I knew. I also knew that I
need not fear these doors, since both mates were on deck.

But at the end of the alleyway was the saloon, the great common room of
the cabin. I paused uncertainly upon the threshold; I didn't know
which way to turn for concealment, and I had to get out of the alleyway
quickly, for any moment a tradesman might come in behind me.

There were several doors on each side of the saloon. To starboard, I
knew, lay the captain's quarters, and, from the sounds, the pantry. To
port, I knew, lay the lady's quarters, and the steward's room. But
which door was which, I did not know. I decided I had best duck into
the captain's room.

But before I could act upon this decision the forward door on the port
side slowly opened, and Wong, the steward, stepped out. I shrank back
into the alleyway as the door opened, and the Chinaman did not glance
in my direction. His whole attention was riveted upon the companion
stairs; Swope's voice sounded up there in the entrance to the hatch.

Wong softly closed the door behind him, and ran on tiptoe across the
saloon, disappearing into the pantry. I did not hesitate an instant.
Wong had not locked the door behind him, and his room would be handy
enough for