In silence, followed by the crowd, he made his way to the coastguard station.
The door was closed, and another small crowd surrounded them.
The captain knocked, and a coastguardian opened the door, admitted him, and closed it upon the crowd.
Upon a table lay stretched out the mangled form of the escaped convict, Jem Starling.
The captain approached, and uncovered his head.
"Dreadful!" he said, turning away. "Dreadful!"
"You recognize him?" asked the coastguard.
"Oh, yes," replied the captain. "It is Starling, my old servant. I recognized him at once."
The coastguard nodded.