and
steward have repeatedly overhauled the lazarette: there's nobody there."

"And if not there, then nowhere else," said I. "Perhaps he's got the
forepeak in his head."

"I'll not have a hatch lifted," he exclaimed, warmly, "nor will I allow
the crew to be troubled. There's been no theft. Put it that the stone is
stolen. Who's going to find it in a forecastle full of men--a thing as
big as half a bean perhaps? If it's gone, it's gone, indeed, whoever
may have it. But there's no go in this matter at all," he added, with a
short, nervous laugh.

We were talking in this fashion when the Major joined us; his features
were now composed. He gazed sternly at the captain and said, loftily:--

"What steps are you prepared to take in this matter?"

"None, sir."

His face darkened. He looked with a bright gleam in his eyes at the
captain, then at me: his gaze was piercing with the light in it. Without
a word he stepped to the side and, folding his arms, stood motionless.

I glanced at the captain; there was something in the bearing of the
Major that gave shape, vague indeed, to a suspicion that had cloudily
hovered about my thoughts of the man for some time past. The captain met
my glance, but he did not interpret it.

When I was relieved at four o'clock by the second mate, I entered my
berth, and presently, hearing the captain go to his cabin, went to him
and made a proposal. He reflected, and then answered:--

"Yes; get it done."

After some talk I went forward and told the carpenter to step aft and
bore a hole in the bulkhead that separated the Major's berth from mine.
He took the necessary tools from his chest and followed me. The captain
was now again on deck, talking with the Major; in fact, detaining him in
conversation, as had been preconcerted. I went into the Major's berth,
and quickly settled upon a spot for an eye-hole. The carpenter then went
to work in my cabin, and in a few minutes bored an orifice large enough
to enable me to command a large portion of the adjacent interior. I
swept the sawdust from the deck in the Major's berth, so that no hint
should draw his attention to the hole, which was pierced in a corner
shadowed by a shelf. I then told the carpenter to manufacture a plug and
paint its extremity of the colour of the bulkhead. He brought me this
plug in a quarter of an hour. It fitted nicely, and was to be withdrawn
and inserted as noiselessly as though greased.

I don't want you to suppose th