"Where else could he be unless he's fallen overboard and that's hardly likely?"
But the captain for once in his life was wrong. The second mate was not on board the Valkyrie. His personal belongings were, so far as they could judge, still in his cabin but the man had disappeared completely. As soon as that fact was thoroughly settled Captain Ole called the first mate into his cabin, leaving the wheel in charge of one of the sailors.
"You didn't see Kelley during the night?" he asked.
"No, sir."
"Nor hear anything suspicious?"
"No, sir."
"Well, did you see anything that might have been a signal?" was the next question.
"Niver a bit uv it," Pat replied and then, after a moment's pause he added: "'Twas thot dark last night thot it's meself as couldn't see inything ter spake uv, sir."
"I know. Now look here, Pat, either he jumped overboard, which isn't likely, or else someone came in a small boat and took him off. Would it have been possible for a small boat, say a canoe, to have sneaked up to the Valkyrie without you knowing it?"
"Faith an' it's meself as thinks as how 'twould have bin aisy enough if he knew jest where to come to," Pat declared after a short pause.