"Blood," said the little steward. "They fought in there. Now come this way." He threw open the door of the Captain's stateroom and kicked away a grass mat. Ominous stains again. "Just there," he continued, "the first mate died. Shot down he was by the master."
"Murder?" And Kep shuddered a little.
"Who can say, the mate had a knife, the Capitan was quicker, he had a revolver."
Kep was undoubtedly brave, yet for some seconds he seemed to be turned into stone.
"Was there an inquest, an enquiry?"
"No, we were far at sea. The mate was buried two hours afterwards sans ceremonie. The blood kept dropping through the blanket we had sewn him in, and the stains will never leave the stairs."
"But surely such things call aloud for----"
"Hush! hush!" cried Dolphin (his name was Adolphus), "we speak not so here. And list, that is the Capitan's voice, he is just coming over the side."
Dolphin hurried to the pantry and was singing cheerfully at his work when the Captain came down below.
He nearly run Kep down, being sun-blind for a time. "Hullo, little piper, I can feel it is you. Can't see much, though. Dolphin, knock the head off a bottle of fizz. We'll be out o' here by five."