without doing anything to help him! Why didn't you take a
chance?"

"He had the drop on me," mumbled the mate.

The captain turned to Drew.

"What about it?" he asked.

"Do I have to deny such a yarn?" the young man burst out hotly. "What
can I say except that this infernal scoundrel is lying? The whole
ridiculous story is as new to me as it is to you. The last time I saw
Mr. Parmalee was when he was standing beside me on the deck last night.
I never laid a finger on him!"

"Where were you standing?" asked the captain.

"Just where Ditty says I was," replied Drew frankly. "That part of the
story is true. And it's the only thing in it that is true."

"Did you have any unfriendly words with Mr. Parmalee?"

"Not a word," was the answer.

"Ask him if he ever had any quarrel with him afore that," snarled the
mate.

"I know all about that," replied the captain sharply. "I was there
myself. It was just a little misunderstanding, and it blew over in a
minute."

"Ev'ry one on board knows there was bad blood 'twixt 'em," put in the
mate, "and they come pretty nigh to guessin' the reason for it, too,"
he added with a leering glance at Ruth.

"Stop, you dog!" shouted the captain in sudden rage. "If you say
another word along that line I'll knock you down!"

The mate took a step backward, and mumbled an apology.

"Go on, Drew," ordered the captain. "When did you lose sight of Mr.
Parmalee?"

"I slipped on the deck and struck my head on the corner of the
hatch-cover. Mr. Parmalee was with me at the time. I lost my senses
from the blow, and when I came to, Parmalee wasn't there. I remember
thinking it strange that he hadn't helped me when I fell, but I was
dizzy and confused and soon forgot about it. If I thought of him at
all, it was to suppose that he had gone to his room. I fully expected
to see him at the breakfast table this morning, and I was as much
surprised as you were when he didn't turn up."

His story was told so frankly and simply that it carried conviction.
But Ditty still had a card up his sleeve. He went over to the open
companion-way.

"Give me that cane, Bill," he called to a sailor standing at a little
distance.

The man obeyed, and a thrill went through the group as they recognized
it as having belonged to Lester Parmalee. Ruth was making a strong
effort for self-control.

"Look at the blood-stains on this cane," said Ditty triumphantly, as he
handed it over to the captai