“I suppose he’d raise a terrible rumpus if he found us going through his things,” said Randy.
“He can’t raise any rumpus with me,” declared the captain. “I am in absolute command on this ship, and I have a right to search every nook and corner if I want to.”
“I know you have,” said Jack. “But that wouldn’t prevent Olesen from feeling sore.”
The majority of things in the stateroom were of the ordinary kind, and in those the searchers took little interest. Then they opened Olesen’s trunk, which was unlocked.
“Nothing here that looks as if it was taken out of the water,” said the captain after a hurried glance through the contents.
“Wait a minute before you shove that trunk back,” said Jack, getting down flat on the stateroom floor. “There may be something in the space behind it.”
He felt in under the bunk as far as he could and presently discovered something wrapped up in an old newspaper. Both the paper and the object wrapped in it were wet.
“That shows that whatever the thing is, it came out of the water!” cried Randy triumphantly.
With eager hands the captain and Jack took the paper from the object, which proved to be a round wicker holder woven over an empty demijohn, the cork of which was missing.