d had asked not to be left alone at the wheel.

During this examination the prosecution for the first time made clear
their position: that the captain was murdered first; that Vail
interfered, and, pursued by Singleton, took refuge in his bunk, where
he was slaughtered; that the murderer, bending to inspect his horrid
work, had unwittingly touched the bell that roused Karen Hansen, and,
crouching in the chartroom with the axe, had struck her as she opened
the door.

The prosecution questioned Burns about the axe and its disappearance.

"Who suggested that the axe be kept in the captain's cabin?"

"Leslie, acting as captain."

"Who had the key?"

"I carried it on a strong line around my neck."

"Whose arrangement was that?"

"Leslie's. He had the key to Mr. Singleton's cabin, and I carried this
one. We divided the responsibility."

"Did you ever give the key to any one?"

"No, sir."

"Did it ever leave you?"

"Not until it was taken away."

"When was that?"

"On Saturday morning, August 22, shortly before dawn."

"Tell what happened."

"I was knocked down from behind, while I was standing at the port
forward corner of the after house. The key was taken from me while I
was unconscious."

"Did you ever see the white object that has been spoken of by the crew?"

"No, sir. I searched the deck one night when Adams, the lookout,
raised an alarm. We found nothing except--"

"Go on."

"He threw down a marlinespike at something moving in the bow. The
spike disappeared. We couldn't find it, although we could see where it
had struck the deck. Afterwards we found a marlinespike hanging over
the ship's side by a lanyard. It might have been the one we looked
for."

"Explain 'lanyard."'

"A cord--a sort of rope."

"It could not have fallen over the side and hung there?"

"It was fastened with a Blackwell hitch."

"Show us what you mean."

On cross-examination by Singleton's attorney, Burns was forced to
relate the incident of the night before his injury--that Mrs. Johns had
asked to see the axe, and he had shown it to her. He maintained
stoutly that she had not been near the bunk, and that the axe was there
when he locked the door.

Adams, called, testified to seeing a curious, misty-white object on the
forecastle-head. It had seemed to come over the bow. The marlinespike
he threw had had no lanyard.

Mrs. Turner and Miss Lee escaped with a light examination. Their
evidence amounted