“Larson. He was paid and paid well, and came on board of his own free will.”
“And your feeling of responsibility ends there?” I asked.
“Feeling of responsibility? My dear, excited Gardy! What are we going to have—a lecture on the responsibility of employer to employed, and that sort of rot?”
“No,” I said, “it would be wasted here.”
“Sensible man. Wilson, you may tell Captain Brack to step in, please.”
Brack came promptly, bustling in with a smile on his face.
“H’llo, cappy,” said Chanler indolently. “I hear we had an accident last night.”
“Yes sir.”
“Well—” Chanler’s face was working angrily—“Well, after this if anything unpleasant happens you give orders to keep it from me until after breakfast, d’you hear? I don’t like to hear of unpleasant things; I don’t like it. This—thing has spoiled my appetite for the whole morning!”
“Why not,” I said, staring hard at Brack, “why not ask Captain Brack to prevent such accidents from happening?”