at once led me into the
saloon.

"Well," said I, "how did you find matters on board here on your
arrival?"

"Just as I might have expected to find them after listening to the
boatswain's story," was the reply. "The poor skipper is undoubtedly
mad--he is in that cabin, there, and I will take you in to see him
presently--but within the last two hours a change seems to have come
over him. Before that he was dreadfully violent and noisy; but he has
now calmed down, and I should not be surprised to find that the worst of
the attack is past. I have not the slightest doubt in the world that
the story of his having murdered the two mates is perfectly true; all
the men--and I have examined each of them separately--tell exactly the
same tale, and there is confirmatory evidence of a certain kind; that is
to say, there are blood-stains on the deck in the skipper's state-room,
proving that the deed was committed there; the door has been broken in,
as stated, and is now in the state-room, with the lock still turned and
the key in it; the revolver with which the murders were committed has
three chambers still loaded, and it is splashed with blood--showing how
close the madman was to his victims when he used the weapon; and last,
and most convincing evidence of all, there are certain entries in the
official log-book, signed `A. Talbot, Chief Mate,' particularising the
captain's eccentricities of behaviour; and one--dated four days ago--
recording the consultation held as to the propriety of temporarily
confining Captain Clarke to his cabin, and the decision arrived at, duly
signed by each of the parties concerned. See, here they are."

Saying which, he opened the closed log-book that I had already noticed
lying on the table, and drew my attention to the entries, one after the
other, in consecutive order. I looked them all over most carefully, and
was bound to admit that they had all the appearance of being genuine.
"A most fortunate circumstance for the hands forward that the mate took
the precaution to make those entries," I remarked.

"Yes, indeed," agreed Baker. "And now," he continued, opening the book
at a fresh page, "this is the entry I made shortly before I saw you
pulling on board us. I want you to have the goodness to confirm the
statement by appending your signature."

I read the entry, and found it to consist of a brief statement of the
facts connected with the loss of his own ship; of his crew and himself
havi