Mr. Wise.

"'Twould be a waste of time and fuel, and a fool's chase," said Captain
Barcus quietly. "There was no way for the lad to go ashore but by the
ship's boat, and 'tis plain he didn't go ashore in the boat at any port
we stops at to-day. Some one would have seen him if he had, and every
man of the crew says he didn't."

"Then he's on the ship somewhere!" shouted Mr. Wise excitedly, springing
to his feet. "He's hiding! He's hiding somewhere on the ship!"

"He's not on the ship," said Captain Barcus gravely. "She've been
searched from masthead to hold, and he's not on the ship. There's no
doubting the poor lad has fallen overboard."

"Do you mean he's been--lost--at--sea?" and the terrified Wise sank
limply into a seat.

"Aye," admitted Captain Barcus, "lost at sea."

"Then turn back! Turn back and look for him!" demanded Mr. Wise, again
on his feet in a frenzy of excitement. "Why don't you turn back and look
for him?"

"Keep your senses, man," admonished Captain Barcus. "As I said before,
'twould be a fool's job to look for him in the sea. No man knows where
or when he went overboard. 'Tis likely 'twere hours ago."

Mr. Wise slouched into a seat, and with his elbows upon his knees held
his head in his hands for a full minute before he spoke.

"What can I tell his father? What can I tell him? He'll discharge me!
He'll think I didn't look after the boy!" and Mr. Wise's dejection was
complete. "What _can_ I tell him!"

"Tell him the truth. He'll discharge you likely. I would," said the
Captain in blunt disgust.

"You can fix it up! You can tell him it happened through no fault of
mine! Tell him something that will clear me of any charge of neglecting
the boy!" Mr. Wise raised his head and looked wistfully and pleadingly
at the Captain.

"You seem to be thinking more of your job than of the poor lad that's
lost," and Captain Barcus, who had risen to his feet, looked down in
contempt upon the cringing man. "My log will say he was last seen
leaning over the starb'rd rail. That he was not at dinner nor at tea,
and that you didn't miss him till after tea and long after dark, though
'tis likely he was lost overboard before dinner. And I'll put in the
testimony of the last to talk with him, the mate, and the seaman, and
what he said to Barney MacFarland. I'm going now to write my log while
'tis all fresh in my mind."

And leaving Mr. Wise, Captain Barcus went to his room to write in his
log a true report o