“Hah! broke in,” cried the captain sharply.
“That I didn’t. I found the door open when I left the berth where I lay down when I first came aboard. Pretty sort of a thick-headed chap it was who stowed that cask. Made me mad as a bull in fly-time. There were the holes to guide him to keep this side upwards, but he put the poor fellow upside down. Nice job I had to turn him right in the dark, and all wedged in among casks. I hope he ain’t dead, because it would be awkward for you, skipper.”
“Look here, sir,” cried Sir Humphrey angrily, while Brace stood fuming; “do you mean to tell me in plain English that you did such a barbarous, criminal act as to shut up a man or boy in a cask to bring him aboard this brig?”
“Barbarous! criminal! Nonsense, sir. He liked the fun of it, and I made him as comfortable as I could. Plenty of air-holes, cushion and a pillow to sit on and rest his head. Plenty to eat too, and a bottle of water to drink. I told him he’d better go to sleep as much as he could, and he said he would. He must have been asleep when I came up a bit ago, for I couldn’t make him hear.”
“Captain Banes,” cried Brace excitedly, “give orders for the hatches to be taken off at once.”
“Just what I’m going to do, squire,” said the captain. “Here, Dellow, see to it. But I call you all to witness that I wash my hands of this business. If the man’s dead I’m going to sail back to port and hand this man over to the authorities.”
“We’ll settle that afterwards, Captain Banes,” said Sir Humphrey stiffly.
“Right, sir; I’ll lose no time,” said the captain, and all present stood looking on while, under the first mate’s orders, the hatches were opened, more lanthorns lit, and a couple of men sent below with a rope running through a block.
“Make it fast, my lads, and be sharp,” cried the mate, as he leaned over the opening in the deck, swinging a lanthorn so that the sailors could see to hitch the rope about the cask. “Ready?”
“One moment, sir,” came from below. Then: