e was
desirous of serving his country in the navy, and especially in the
Bronx, it was not necessary to pretend to be deaf and dumb in order to
obtain a fighting berth on board of her. It looked like a first class
mystery to the young commander, but he was satisfied that the presence
of Mulgrum meant mischief. He could not determine at once what it was
best to do to solve the mystery; but he decided that the most extreme
watchfulness was required of him and his first lieutenant. This was all
he could do, and he touched his bell again.

"Dave," said he when the cabin steward presented himself before him, "go
on deck and ask Mr. Lillyworth to report to me the log and the weather."

"The log and the weather, sir," replied Dave, as he hastened out of the
cabin.

Christy watched him closely as he went out at the door, and he was
satisfied that Mulgrum was not in the passage, if he had stopped there
at all. His present purpose was to disarm all the suspicions of the
subject of the mystery, but he would have been glad to know whether or
not the man had lingered at the door to hear what was said in regard to
him. He was not anxious in regard to the weather, or even the log, and
he sent Dave on his errand in order to make sure that Mulgrum was not
still doing duty as a listener.

"Wind south south west, log last time fifteen knots and a half,"
reported Dave, as he came in after knocking at the door.

"I can not imagine why that man pretended to be deaf and dumb in order
to get a position on board of the Bronx. He is plainly a fraud," said
the captain when Dave had gone back to his work in the state room.

"I don't believe he pretended to be a deaf mute in order to get a place
on board, for that would ordinarily be enough to prevent him from
getting it. I should put it that he had obtained his place in spite of
being deaf and dumb. But the mystery exists just the same."

The captain went on deck, and the first lieutenant to the ward room.

CHAPTER V

A CONFIDENTIAL STEWARD

The wind still came from the southward, and it was very light. The sea
was comparatively smooth, and the Bronx continued on her course. At the
last bi-hourly heaving of the log, she was making sixteen knots an hour.
The captain went into the engine room, where he found Mr. Gawl, one of
the chief's two assistants, on duty. This officer informed him that no
effort had been made to increase the speed of the steamer, and that she
was under no s