ore than that. He might have used
the code book! Hum-m-m! Ahem! Harump-h-h-h! Skinner, this fellow will
not do. He is too windy. Skinner, he tells the story in eight words, and
forgets to use his code book. Give me a skipper, Skinner, my boy, who
always has his owner's interest at heart and displays a commendable
discretion in limiting the depredations practiced by the cable company.
For instance, the man Peasley might have omitted the word knifed; also
the explanatory words, argument boat fare, and the word mate. Though
regretting Noah's demise most keenly, as business men we are not
cable-gramically interested in the means employed to accomplish his
removal. Neither do the causes leading up to the tragedy interest us.
The man Peasley should merely have said "Captain murdered." Also, he
might have trusted to us to realize that when the captain dies the first
mate takes charge. He need not have identified himself--the infernal
chatter-box!"

Cappy read the next sentence. "Instruct consignees honor my drafts as
captain."

"H'm! Harum-ph! He might have said 'please,' Skinner! Sounds devilishly
like an order, the way he puts it. Though he is temporarily in command
I challenge his right to handle our money until I know more about him.
Harum-ph! Reading between the lines, Skinner, I see he says: 'If you
send a skipper to Cape Town to bring the Retriever home while I'm on the
job, you're crazy.' Look over the vouchers in Cap'n Noah's last report
and let us ascertain how long this forceful mate has been in our
employ."

Now, the ordinary form of receipt to which a seaman puts his signature
when signing clear bears upon its reverse side a series of blank spaces,
which the captain must fill in. These blanks provide for mention of
the date of signing on, date of discharge, station held on vessel
and remarks. On none of the vouchers of the Retriever's last voyage,
however, did the name of Matthew Peasley appear.

"Must have shipped in San Francisco just before the vessel sailed for
her loading port," Cappy announced. "Send in a boy."

One of Cappy's young men was summoned.

"Son," said Cappy, "you run down, like a good boy, to the office of the
Deputy United States Shipping Commissioner and tell him Mr. Ricks
would like to see the duplicate copy of the crew list of the barkentine
Retriever."

When an American vessel clears for a foreign port the law required
that her crew shall be signed on before a Deputy United States S