“How could I help ’em to get out when I haven’t left the wheel?”
“But there was a rope hanging down from the spanker-boom.”
“I don’t care if all the ropes in the ship hung down. I arn’t moved. Ask them.”
“No, he hasn’t left the wheel,” said a voice.
“How do you know? How could you see?” cried Jarette.
“Hadn’t he got the binnacle-light on his phiz all the time, captain?”
“Then who did help them? Some one fastened that line. Look, there it is.”
A lantern was held out over the stern, and there was a murmur of voices.
“That line doesn’t belong there, and wasn’t there yesterday,” cried Jarette. “There’s a traitor somewhere.”
“All right, cap’n, find him then,” said Bob Hampton, surlily.