“Don'no' about that, sir. The Bee line wasn't none too strong financially, I'm told—a lot of little fellers who put in what they could scrape and borrowed the rest. Depends on insurance and their courage what they do after this.” He offered another observation after he had tamped down a load in his black pipe. “Men will do 'most anything for money—enough money.”
“Seems as if I'd heard that statement before,” was Mayo's curt rejoinder.
“Oh, I know it ain't in any ways new. But the more I think over what has happened to the Conomo, the pickeder seems the point to that remark. And whilst I was standing off and on, waiting for you, I run close enough to that steamer to make out a few faces aboard her.”
Mayo glanced at him without comment.
“F'r instance, I saw Art Simpson. You know him, don't you?”
“He was captain of Mr. Marston's yacht once.”
“Why did he leave her?”
“I heard he had been discharged. That was what the broker said when he hired me.”
“Yes, that's what Simpson said. He made a business of going around and swearing about it. Seemed to want to have everybody 'longcoast hear him swear about it. When I see a man make too much of a business of swearing about another man I get suspicious. After Art Simpson worked his cards so as to get the job of second officer on board the new Conomo I got more suspicious. Now that I have seen how that steamer has been plunked fair and square on Razee, I'm almighty suspicious. I'm suspicious enough to believe that she banged during Art Simpson's watch.”
“What are you driving at, Captain Candage? Are you hinting that anybody would plant a man for a job of that kind?”