e," he went on, "Deming ain't quit. That's one thing with a man
who's streaked with yeller, when he gits licked in the open an' knows
he's licked proper, he tries to git even underhanded. He knows jest as
well as I do that Carlsen was lyin' that time about there bein' no more
shells. O' course the skipper may have stowed 'em away, but I doubt it.
An' jest so long as he thinks there's a chance of gittin' at 'em, he'll
figger on turning' the tables some day. An' he'll be workin' the rest of
'em up to the job."

"They can't do much without a navigator," suggested Rainey.

"Mebbe they figger a man'll do a lot o' things he don't want to with a
rifle barrel stuck in his neck or the small of his back," said Lund
grimly. "It's a good persuader. Might even have some influence on me.
Then ag'in it might not."

"Where is the magazine?" asked Rainey.

"In the little room aft o' the galley. We'll look there first. Come on."

"How about keys? Carlsen's must have been in his pockets. I didn't see
them when I was hunting the morphine. We can't go in there." Rainey made
a motion toward the skipper's room. Lund chuckled.

"I had my keys to the safe an' the magazine when I was aboard last
trip," he said. "They was with me when we went on the ice. An' I hung on
to 'em. Allus thought I might have a chance to use 'em ag'in."

The strong room of the _Karluk_ was a narrow compartment, heavily
partitioned off from the galley and the corridor. There was a lamp
there, and Rainey lit it while Lund closed the door behind them. The
magazine was an iron chest fastened to the floor and the side of the
vessel with two padlocks, opened by different keys. It was quite empty.

"Thorough man, Carlsen," said Lund. "Prepared for a show-down, if
necessary. Might have put 'em in the safe. Wonder if he changed the
combination? I bet Simms didn't, year in an' out."

He worked at the disk and grunted as the tumblers clicked home.

"It ain't changed," he said. "No use lookin' here." But he swung back
the door and rummaged through books and papers, disturbing a chronometer
and a small cash-box that held the schooner's limited amount of ready
cash. There was no sign of any cartridges.

"We'll tackle Carlsen's room next," he announced. "I don't suppose you
looked between the bunk mattresses, did you?"

"I never thought of it," said Rainey. "I didn't imagine there would be
more than one."

"I've got a hunch you'll find two on Carlsen's bunk. An' the shel