“I passed there not five minutes ago. There were no one in sight and the place was in darkness. I lit the lamp in the companionway and looked about, for sure I had me suspicions. But there was no one in sight, good or bad.”
“That is very strange,” said Ethan. “I was just now speaking to the captain about that very point and understood that the sentry was still a fixture at the cabin door.”
He paused a moment, hesitating; then he said quietly:
“I will return in a moment.”
With quick steps he advanced to the companionway and descended.
“Dark!” he muttered, as his eyes tried vainly to pierce the blackness. “And Shamus said he had lit the lamp. This looks strange. Why it would almost seem that some one had”—he caught his breath at the thought—“blown it out.”
Creeping along in the darkness toward the commander’s cabin, his groping hands found the door.
It was open!
He paused, standing upright, unable to think what next to do. Then his ears caught a slight, unmistakable rustling.
“Who’s there?” he called sharply.