g. "You know very well why I met Roy in the sail-locker;
you know very well we were planning to avoid bloodshed, not cause it."

"What are you doing here?" exclaimed the captain, with a savage edge to
his words. "This is a man's business, madam! Return to your room at
once. Mister Fitzgibbon, take her to her room!"

There was the sound of movement below. A chair scraped. Then Lynch's
voice rang out sharply, "Stop that, Fitz!" The lady's voice said, "You
need not touch me, I am going." A second later she spoke again, from a
different point, and I judged her to be in the doorway of her
stateroom. "You, at least, Mister Lynch, will bear witness that I deny
these charges against myself and against--against him. They are lies.
This spy is lying, my husband is lying. I know the truth. Do you hear
me, Angus? I know the truth, and you cannot silence me with lies!" A
door closed.

"Now we will continue our examination," said Captain Swope.

Just then I heard a faint slatting of canvas aloft. I sped for the
wheel, and when, an instant later, the tradesman, Morton, poked his
head above the level of the poop, and looked aft, I had the ship steady
again. Morton's head disappeared, and after waiting a few moments to
make sure he did not intend coming up on the poop, I returned to the
skylight.

My precious shipmate was talking again. "Hi 'eard 'im sy in the
Knitting Swede's 'ow 'e was shipping in this ship just to ryse 'ell."

"He said that, did he?" commented Captain Swope. "Now what have you to
say to that, Newman?"

For the first time I heard my friend's voice. His words were cool,
contemptuous. Aye, they heartened me; they told me he was far from
being defeated.

"The rat lies, of course, as all of you know."

"And you say that Newman has persistently endeavored to stir up the
crew to acts of disobedience and violence?" continued the captain.

"Yes, sir," was the answer. "'E would sy as 'ow there was a lot o'
money in the lazaret, and if we would follow 'im arft 'e would give hit
to us."

"Now I know that is a lie," broke in Lynch. The second mate's voice
was also contemptuous, but not cool; I could tell he was excited and
angry. "I've watched this crowd, Captain; I know them like I know the
back of my hand. This man, Newman, is the best sailor for'ard, and the
strongest influence for peace. He, and the little Holy Joe the crimp
gave us, prevented a riot the night the boy died. I know this f