one. He goes where he pleases
without consulting me, Mr. Skinner. He means nothing in my life--so why
should I know where he is?"

"You infernal scoundrel!" shrilled Cappy Ricks. "You whaled hell out of
him and threw him out on the dock at Panama--that's what you did to him!
You took the Tillicum away from him by force."

"Captain Grant is a fine, elderly gentleman, sir," Matt interrupted. "I
would not use force on him. He left the ship of his own free will at San
Diego, California."

"At San Diego?" Cappy and Skinner cried in unison.

"At San Diego."

"But you said you were going to Panama on the City of Para, the regular
passenger liner," Cappy challenged.

"Well, I wasn't committed to that course, sir. After leaving your office
I changed my mind. I figured the Tillicum was somewhere off the coast of
Lower California; so I wirelessed Captain Grant, explained to him that
the ship was back on my hands by reason of the failure of Morrow &
Company, and ordered him to put into San Diego for further orders. He
proceeded there; I proceeded there; we met; I presented your letter
relieving him of his command. Simple enough, isn't it?"

"But what became of him?"

"How should I know, sir? I've been as busy as a bird dog down in Panama.
Please let me get on with my story. I had just cleared Point Loma and
was about to surrender the bridge to my first mate when an interesting
little message came trickling out of the ether--and my wireless boy
picked it up, because it was addressed to 'Captain Grant, Master S. S.
Tillicum.'"

Cappy Ricks quivered and licked his lower lip, but said nothing.

"That message," Matt continued, "was brought to me by the operator, who
really didn't know what to do with it. Captain Grant had left the ship
and Sparks didn't know what hotel in San Diego the late master of
the Tillicum would put up for the night; so I read the message to see
whether it was important, for I felt that it had to do with the ship's
business and that I was justified in reading it."

Again Cappy Ricks squirmed. Mr. Skinner commenced to gnaw his thumb
nail.

"That message broke me all up," Matt continued sadly. "It destroyed
completely my faith in human nature and demonstrated beyond a doubt that
there is no such thing in this world as fair play in business. It's
like a waterfront fight. You just get your man down and everything
goes--kicking, biting, gouging, knee-work!" Matt sighed dolorously and
drew from his vest