"I did know it, sir," replied Nat respectfully, "and I told——"
"He didn't tell me!" burst out Sam quickly. "He didn't say anything about it. In fact, Captain Marshall, he asked me to smoke here. He gave me the cigarette!"
"What!" exclaimed Nat, astonished beyond measure. "I never——"
"Yes, you did!" went on Sam quickly. "You gave me a cigarette out of a box you had in your pocket, I—I thought it was all right to smoke when he gave it to me."
"Is this true?" demanded the captain sternly.
"No, sir!" exclaimed Nat. "I haven't any cigarettes, and if I had I wouldn't give him any. I haven't smoked in over a year."
"He says you have a box in your pocket now," continued Captain Marshall, remembering his suspicions about the fire in the hold.
"He's telling an untruth," replied Nat quietly. "I don't carry cigarettes about with me. You can——"
"Then what's this?" asked the commander suddenly, as he stepped toward Nat, and plunging his hand in the lad's pocket he pulled out the box of cigarettes. The captain had seen a suspicious-looking bulge, and had acted on what he considered his rights as a commander of a vessel in searching one of his crew.
"Why—why——" stammered Nat. "I didn't know——"