but the poor fellow has gone overboard. In itself
that doesn't prove anything. He may have fallen over. But we can't
get away from the fact that one man says he knows how Parmalee came to
his death. He may be lying. I think he is. I hope to God he is. But
the whole matter will have to be taken up by the proper authorities as
soon as we get back to New York."

Drew's brain reeled. He saw himself in a court of justice, on trial
for his life, charged with a horrible crime that he had no means of
refuting, except by his own unsupported denial. And even if he were
acquitted, the black cloud of suspicion would hang over him forever.

"But I'm going to believe you're innocent until I'm forced to believe
the contrary," continued the captain; "and God help Ditty if I find
he's been lying!"

"He is lying," protested Drew passionately. "I never dreamed of
injuring Parmalee. Did I act like a murderer last night when you bound
up my head, Ruth?"

"No! no!" sobbed the girl.

"Did I act like a murderer at the table this morning?" Drew continued,
conscious that he was proving nothing, but clutching eagerly at every
straw.

"You're no more a murderer than I am!" almost shouted Tyke, moved to
the depth by Drew's distress.

"You're going to have the benefit of every doubt, my boy," the captain
assured him soothingly. "But now you'd better go to your room and try
to pull yourself together. We're all upset, and talking won't do us
any good until we've got something else to go on. But you have got to
promise me that you'll leave Ditty alone."

"I'll leave him alone if he leaves me alone."

"That is all I ask. I'll warn him to keep away from you."

Drew released Ruth's hand. She threw herself on her father's breast,
and the young man groped his way to his room. Once there, he sat down
and tried to face calmly the terrible indictment that had been made
against him.

He did not delude himself as to the bits of circumstantial evidence
that might be used to piece out that indictment to make it plausible.

What was Ditty's motive? He racked his brain in vain to find it.
There was, to be sure, the row upon the pier, but that had been only a
trifle, and the world would never believe that for anything like that a
man would swear away the life of another.

The previous quarrel between him and Lester Parmalee seemed to
establish the fact that there was bad blood between them. There was
the cut upon his head, receive