sick, and I needed the sea and
a rest."

They were not so impressed as I had expected--or perhaps they had known
all along. Sailors are a secretive lot.

"I'm thinking we'll all be getting a rest soon," a voice said. "What
are you going to do with them knives?"

I had an inspiration. "I'm going to leave that to you men," I said.
"You may throw them overboard, if you wish--but, if you do, take out
the needles and the silk; we may need them."

There followed a savage but restrained argument among the men. Jones,
from the tent, called out irritably:--

"Don't be fools, you fellows. This happened while Leslie was asleep.
I'll swear he never moved after he lay down."

The crew reached a decision shortly after that, and came to me in a
body.

"We think," Oleson said, "that we'll lock them in the captain's cabin,
with the axe."

"Very well," I said. "Burns has the key around his neck."

Clarke, I think it was, went into the tent, and came out again directly.

"There's no key around his neck," he said gruffly.

"It may have slipped around under his back."

"It isn't there at all."

I ran into the tent, where Jones, having exhausted the resources of the
injured man's clothing, was searching among the blankets on which he
lay. There was no key. I went out to the men again, bewildered. The
dawn had come, a pink and rosy dawn that promised another stifling day.
It revealed the disarray of the deck--he basins, the old mahogany
amputating-case with its lock plate of bone, the stained and reddened
towels; and it showed the brooding and overcast faces of the men.

"Isn't it there?" I asked. "Our agreement was for me to carry the key
to Singleton's cabin and Burns the captain's."

Miss Lee, by the rail, came forward slowly, and looked up at me.

"Isn't it possible," she said, "that, knowing where the key was, some
one wished to get it, and so--" She indicated the tent and Burns.

I knew then. How dull I had been, and stupid! The men caught her
meaning, too, and we tramped heavily forward, the girl and I leading.

The door into the captain's room was open, and the axe was gone from
the bunk. The key, with the cord that Burns had worn around his neck,
was in the door, the string torn and pulled as if it had been jerked
away from the unconscious man. Later on we verified this by finding,
on the back of Bums's neck an abraded line two inches or so in length.

It was a strong cord--the kind a sailor pins h