was not some menace
about the decks.

He heard the main shrouds creak as if someone were going aloft and
then a rustle like a whispered caution.

Without a warning, he turned and stepped abruptly into the shaft of
light which came up through the companion, and went below to his
room, where he shut himself in.

Whatever he did, he knew it would have to be carried on with all
caution. He would have to meet sneaking and spying with the same
tactics, but he was determined to keep watch throughout the night.

CHAPTER IX

TRASK UNDERTAKES A PRIVATE INVESTIGATION

Trask was more worried than he liked to admit, even to himself.
While he had nothing tangible in the way of suspicion, he disliked
the manner in which events had shaped themselves, or had been
shaped by Jarrow.

From the time they had raised the island, Trask had seen on the
part of Jarrow a decided reluctance to arrive at anchorage before
dark. There was no doubt about it. He had allowed the schooner to
lag when she could have been driven ahead. Whether this was due to
Jarrow's deliberate contrivance, or was the result of a tacit
acceptance of Peth's dilatory ways in seamanship, Trask had no
means of determining with accuracy. He could only draw conclusions.

It might have been that Jarrow was willing to overlook Peth's
delays in order to avoid bringing on a new argument with the mate.
And Jarrow might have been wise to avoid a resumption of trouble,
for, as Peth had been openly insolent and had carried a chip on his
shoulder all the way from Manila, it was just as well that the
captain did not give him the satisfaction of a row.

But Trask blamed Jarrow for being too complacent in small things,
which had encouraged Peth to insubordination. It would have been
far better if the mate had been brought into place with a sharp and
short encounter which would determine just who was master, than to
continue strained relations which only allowed Peth to smoulder and
feed his rising anger with growls and grumbles in the hearing of
the crew.

There was no doubt that Jarrow was trying to smooth things out and
avoid a direct clash. He dreaded unpleasantness in the presence of
Locke. But to Trask the obvious delay in coming up to the island
was only a small part of his growing fears that the situation
aboard the schooner was worse than a mere temporary ill-feeling
between the captain and the mate.

A decided change had come over the crew. They were stran