Both Captain Vavick and Morgan, who had been ready to lend assistance, clutched the rail and stared. The circular tin box slid from the victim's arms, clattered on the deck, and rolled. Valvick caught it as the deck was carrying it overboard.
"Yumping Yudas!" said the captain, his eyeballs bulging. "Ho! Hey! Go easy! Ay t'ank you going to kill him if you keep on…"
"Whee!" said a voice behind them. "Darling! Sock him again!"
Reeling, Morgan turned round to see Peggy Glenn, without hat or coat, capering in the middle of the spray-drenched deck. Her hair was blowing wildly, and she beamed as she spun to keep her footing. She had the whisky-bottle in one hand ("in case somebody needed it," as she afterwards explained), and she was waving it, encouragingly.
"You blasted little fool," yelled Morgan, "go back!" He seized her arm and dragged her to the inside rail, but she broke loose and stuck out her tongue at him. "Go back, I tell you! Here, take this—" he got the tin box from Valvick, and thrust it into her hands—"take this and go back. We'll be there. It's all over… "
It was, and had been for some seconds. By the time she was persuaded to work her way back some distance. Warren had arranged his tie, smoothed the hair over his sticking-plaster, and come up to them with the deprecating air of a person who regrets having caused a fuss.
"Well, boys," he said, "I feel a little better. Now we can examine this blackjacker-user and see if he's carrying the first part of the film on him. If not, we can easily find out his cabin." He drew a deep breath. A high wave careered, swung and broke close to the deck, drenching him; but he only adjusted his tie and wiped the water from his eyes in a negligent fashion. He was beaming. "This isn't a bad night's work. As a member of the Diplomatic Service, I feel that I have earned considerable thanks from Uncle Warpus, and — What the devil's the matter with—!"
The girl had screamed. Even with the sea noises, it went up shrill and thin above them, paralysing on the darkened liner.
Morgan whirled round. She had taken the lid off the tin box, and Morgan noted in fascinated horror that the lid had a hasp and a hinge, which he did not remember having seen… Holding tight to the rail, he wove his way to where the girl, under a sickly electric bulb, was holding the box out and staring into it.
"Coroosh!" said Captain Valvick.