" asked Meeker, and I thought I saw some sort of a
signal pass between them.

Buckrow arrived from the forecastle with a leather sheath and a knife in
it. He handed it to Harris.

"There's my knife!" yelled Petrak. "That's it, just as I said, and Bucky
found it in my bunk where I said it was, strike me blind!"

Captain Riggs was nonplussed for a second at this, and he hesitated. Then
he looked at Buckrow, who was trying to get past Harris into the passage
again.

"Buckrow! Wait a minute, my man! Where's your knife?"

"My knife?" said Buckrow in amazement. "My knife?"

"Yes, the knife you had when you were here first. Where is it now? It
ain't in your belt."

Buckrow reached to his hip, and consternation pulled his face into
varying expressions as he found his sheath empty. But we knew his
astonishment was simulated.

"Damme if it bain't gone! Some of them cussed chinks must 'ave a tooken
it. It was--"

"That's all very well," said Riggs. "The redheaded one is our man."

"Where's that bleedin' knife?" said Buckrow, fumbling at his belt.

"Never mind that," put in Riggs. "That's your knife there in the red
fellow's sheath, and this is settled until it is turned over to the
judge. Put this man Petrak, or whatever his name is, in irons, Mr.
Harris; and you, Buckrow, you know more than you'll tell. Mind what
you're about or you'll be clapped in irons, too, along with your mate
here. Have the body wrapped with some firebars, Mr. Harris, to be buried
in the morning. That's all. Double irons, Mr. Harris."

"I never done for him, and that gent knows it," wailed Petrak, as Harris
put his hand on his shoulder to take him away. To my amazement, Petrak
pointed his finger at me.

"What's that?" said Riggs sharply.

"Tell all you know, my good man," said Meeker despite the caution Riggs
had given him about interfering.

"The gent in the white suit knows all about it. I done for this chap,
and the writin' chap, that I brought his bag aboard, paid me for it. Said
he would, and gave me some of the money on deck to-day. You saw him,
cap'n--you saw him hand-in' me the silver, sir. He's in it, too, and--"

"Why, my dear Mr. Trenholm!" exclaimed Meeker, getting to his feet,
aghast at the accusation of the little red-headed man. "My dear sir, I
could hardly believe such a thing of you! And we dined with you--"

"Here, you hold up," shouted Riggs. "What does this mean, Mr. Trenholm? I
remember now that I did see this man t