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Page 52
The boys watched breathlessly, then turned to stare at the
Captain, who was peering intently at the water. There was
something in his stern, set face that forbade questioning. For
once they were completely silenced.
When the head, did not come to the surface, the Captain turned
and went hastily down the companionway. The boys looked at each
other.
"What on earth does it all mean?" Porky demanded of no one in
particular.
They, too, hurried, down. The door of the Captain's cabin was
ajar. Colonel Bright, very pale, and supported by the purser,
sat opposite the door. When he saw the boys' anxious faces he
nodded, and they went silently to his side.
Then they saw that on the Captain's bunk a form, limp and
ghastly, was stretched out under the hand of the surgeon. It was
the Captain of the Firefly, and as they looked, the surgeon stood
upright.
"He is dead," he said briefly. He came around by Colonel Bright,
and assisted him to his feet.
"Better come to your own cabin, sir," he suggested.
"Come, boys," said Colonel Bright. Then to the surgeon, and the
purser: "I am merely scratched. I do not need further
assistance. See you can't do something further for that poor
fellow." He turned and, followed by the boys, walked slowly down
the passage to his own large, comfortable cabin, where he dropped
wearily into a chair, and with a gesture directed the boys to
remove his tunic. No one spoke until he had been partly
undressed, and had laid down on the bunk.
"Well, boys," he said then, with the little twinkling smile they
loved, "I certainly was born lucky! I suppose you are both
simply bursting to know what has happened, and I don't blame you.
I want to say first of all, though, that you have shown a great
deal of discretion; a great deal of discretion indeed."
The boys looked wildly at each other. They were not very strong
on long words, and while they were sure that they were being
praised, they were not sure just exactly what discretion meant.
Beany simpered and let it go at that; Porky mumbled, "Much
obliged."
Colonel Bright pulled his torn shirt over the spot on his broad
shoulder where a wad of absorbent cotton and a lot of
crisscrossed surgeon's plaster marked the slight wound. He moved
the shoulder curiously. "That will be stiff for a couple of
days, I suppose, but that is all there will be to it. Nothing
but a scratch. Did you see the man go overboard, boys?"
"Yes, sir, we did," said Porky; "but we didn't see who it was.
Was it any one we knew? We saw the Captain shoot him."
"Yes," said Beany of the eagle eye, "it made me feel funny,
somehow. The Captain shot quick. Just bing! and the bullet hit
him, about an inch above the back of his neck just a shade to the
left of the middle of his head."
"Close enough to keep him down below until the day of judgment,"
said the Colonel, sighing. "So you didn't see his face? Well,
boys, if you had, you would have seen a familiar countenance. It
was our second mate; and a spy!"
"What?" cried both boys, startled at the words and tone.
"Just that!" said the Colonel. "We have had a scene, I can tell
you. If one of you will order a cup of coffee for me I will tell
you all about it." He leaned back and closed his eyes. Beany
made for the door; and Porky sat in silence until his brother
returned with a tray of coffee, toast and bacon.
Then while the Colonel ate, they busied themselves about one
thing and another around the cabin, until at last the Colonel set
down the empty coffee cup, and spoke.
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