He struck a light and looked around.  There was no one in sight.  He could hear Charlie Jones in the forecastle drumming on his banjo, and Burns whistling the same tune as he went aft to strike the bell.  (It was the duty of the officer on watch to strike the hour.) It was then half after eleven.  As he passed the captain’s door again, his foot struck something, and it fell to the floor.  He was afraid the captain had been roused, and stood still until he heard him breathing regularly again.  Then he stooped down.  His foot had struck an axe upright against the captain’s door, and had knocked it down.

The axe belonged on the outer wall of the forward house.  It was a rule that it must not be removed from its place except in emergency, and the first mate carried it out and leaned it against the forward port corner of the after house when he went below.  Later, on his watch, he carried it forward and put it where it belonged.

He found Turner waiting on deck, and together they descended to the chart-room.  He was none too clear as to what followed.  They drank together.  Vail tried to get Turner to bed, and failed.  He believed that Burns had called the captain.  The captain had ordered him to the deck, and there had been a furious quarrel.  He felt ill by that time, and, when he went on watch at midnight, Burns was uncertain about leaving him.  He was not intoxicated, he maintained, until after half-past one.  He was able to strike the bell without difficulty, and spoke, each time he went aft, to Charlie Jones, who was at the wheel.

After that, however, he suddenly felt strange.  He thought he had been doped, and told the helmsman so.  He asked Jones to strike the bell for him, and, going up on the forecastle head, lay down on the boards and fell asleep.  He did not waken until he heard six bells struck—­three o’clock.  And, before he had fully roused, I had called him.

“Then,” I said, “when the lookout saw you with the axe, you were replacing it?”

“Yes.”

“The lookout says you were not on deck between two and three o’clock.”

“How does he know?  I was asleep.”

“You had threatened to get the captain.”

“I had a revolver; I didn’t need to use an axe.”

Much as I disliked the man, I was inclined to believe his story, although I thought he was keeping something back.  I leaned forward.

“Singleton,” I said, “if you didn’t do it, and I want to think you did not,—­who did?”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“We have women aboard.  We ought to know what precautions to take.”

“I wasn’t the only man on deck that night.  Burns was about, and he had a quarrel with the Hansen woman.  Jones was at the wheel, too.  Why don’t you lock up Jones?”

“We are all under suspicion,” I admitted.  “But you had threatened the captain.”

“I never threatened the girl, or Mr. Vail.”