Trunnell scratched his bushy head and seemed to be thinking deeply.  Then he put down the glasses and led the way aft without a word, Chips and I following.  We went below and found Mrs. Sackett and Jennie in the saloon.

“Where’s the captain?” they asked in a breath.

“Faith, an’ he’s changed ships, if ye please,” said Chips.

“And left a little thing behind he would have liked to have taken with him,” I said.

“What was the matter?” they both asked.

Chips and I tried to tell, but we soon made a tangle of it, the only thing coherent being the fact that the fellow was a crook and had left his trunk behind.  This was so heavy that Chips had failed to lift it.

“I always knew he was not a sea-captain,” cried Jennie.  “I don’t see how you men let him fool you so badly.”

Chips and I looked at the mate, but he simply scratched his head.

“Discipline is discipline,” he said.  “He ware capting o’ this here ship, an’ there ware no way to do but obey his orders.  No, sir, discipline is discipline, an’ the sooner ye get it through your heads, the better.”

“But he isn’t captain any longer,” I said.

“Well, I don’t know about that,” said Trunnell.  “If he ain’t a-comin’ back, he ain’t capting, sure.  But ye can’t tell nothin’ about it.  He may come aboard agin in a little while an’ want to know why we didn’t wait dinner for him.”

“He sho’ would take his trunk,” said Gunning, “an’ dat’s a fact.”

“Why would he?” asked Mrs. Sackett.

“‘Cause he take good care o’ dat trunk, ma’m.  He sleep wid one eye on it an’ his gun handy.  I come near gettin’ killed onct when I come into de cabin, suddin’ like, while he was at work ober de things inside.”

“For Heaven’s sake, let’s look at it,” said Mrs. Sackett.

“‘Tis th’ best thing we cud do,” said Chips. “’Tis no less than solid gold he stowed in it.  Faith, it’s as heavy as th’ main yard.”

Mrs. Sackett led the way to the captain’s room, and Trunnell made no farther resistance.  She opened the door, and we crowded inside.  There lay the trunk on the floor or deck ahead of us.

“Try yer hand at th’ liftin’ av th’ thing,” said Chips to me.

I reached down and took hold of the handle at the side.  Pulling heavily, I lifted with all my power.  The trunk remained stationary.

“Dere’s nothin’ but gold in dat thing, sho’,” said Gunning.

“Well, for Heaven’s sake! why don’t some one open it?” cried Jennie.

“An’ have him a-comin’ back aboard, a-wantin’ to know who had been at it, hey?” said Trunnell.  “I didn’t think ye ware that kind o’ missy.”

“Nonsense!” I said.  “He isn’t coming back.  Even if he is, it won’t hurt to lift it, will it?”

“No, I don’t know as it will, only it might upset them charts,” said Trunnell.

“Try it,” I said.  “See if it’s gold.  It’ll clink when you shake it, sure.”