Lynch drew a deep breath and a shiver seemed to run over him from his head to his feet.
“Then it was no dream,” he whispered huskily. “I was thinking about that when you came in. I was trying to clear up things in my mind. I was wondering what had really happened and what I had dreamed as happening.”
Still holding the pistol and fixing his gaze upon it, Mike lifted one hand to his bandaged head, apparently seeking to get a grip on his disturbed and scattered thoughts.
“Merriwell,” he said, “I wish you would tell me a few things. We ran down a rowboat containing you and Buckhart, didn’t we?”
“Yes.”
“Buckhart escaped and was pulled on board our launch.”
“Yes.”
“But you—we saw nothing of you after the rowboat was wrecked. We believed you were drowned. Buckhart thought so. We searched for your body until long after it was dark. Others joined in the search. Finally we gave it up. That night in Fred’s saloon we saw your white face through the panel hole in the wall. We were drinking heavily. Du Boise fainted. I’m sure both Ditson and myself believed we had seen an apparition, a ghost. Du Boise tried to explain it by saying it was a hallucination. I didn’t sleep much that night—in fact, I don’t think I slept at all. I never passed through such a night. At daybreak I started out into the country, seeking to get away from myself and my haunting thoughts. Perhaps you don’t believe me, Merriwell, but I was the most wretched fellow in the world. I didn’t think there was any real danger that we would drown you when we ran your boat down. I wanted to give you a ducking. There was malice in my heart perhaps, but not murder. I hope you believe this.”
Without speaking, Dick motioned for him to continue.
“I say I started out early the following morning, but I’m not sure of that. I don’t seem to know just what happened. I have fancied it was nothing but a dream. I have fancied that I remained and dreamed that I rose and took a long walk into the country. In a strip of woods I stopped to rest. Along came some fellows taking a morning run. You were with them. This seems to be a part of my dream. Tell me, Merriwell, did such a thing happen?”