wever, refused to accept this surrender, only two,
Adams and McNamara, favoring it. I expect to give myself up to the
police at the nearest port, until the matter is thoroughly probed.

The axe is locked in the captain's cabin.

(Signed) RALPH LESLIE.
John Robert Burns
Charles Klineordlinger (Jones)
William McNamara
Witnesses Carl L. Clarke
Joseph Q. Adams
John Oleson
Tom MacKenzie
Obadiah Williams

CHAPTER XII

THE FIRST MATE TALKS

Williams came up on deck late that afternoon, with a scared face, and
announced that Mr. Turner had locked himself in his cabin, and was
raving in delirium on the other side of the door. I sent Burns down
having decided, in view of Mrs. Johns's accusation, to keep away from
the living quarters of the family. Burns's report corroborated what
Williams had said. Turner was in the grip of delirium tremens, and the
Ella was without owner or officers.

Turner refused to open either door for us. As well as we could make
out, he was moving rapidly but almost noiselessly up and down the room,
muttering to himself, now and then throwing himself on the bed, only to
get up at once. He rang his bell a dozen times, and summoned Williams,
only, in reply to the butler's palpitating knock, to stand beyond the
door and refuse to open it or to voice any request. The situation
became so urgent that finally I was forced to go down, with no better
success.

Mrs. Turner dragged herself across, on the state of affairs being
reported to her, and, after two or three abortive attempts, succeeded
in getting a reply from him.

"Marsh!" she called. "I want to talk to you. Let me in."

"They'll get us," he said craftily.

"Us? Who is with you?"

"Vail," he replied promptly. "He's here talking. He won't let me
sleep."

"Tell him to give you the key and you will keep it for him so no one
can get him," I prompted. I had had some experience with such cases in
the hospital.

She tried it without any particular hope, but it succeeded immediately.
He pushed the key out under the door, and almost at once we heard him
throw himself on the bed, as if satisfied that the problem of his
security was solved.

Mrs. Turner held the key out to me, but I would not take it.

"Give it