At this, Brand, who stood not far off, turned aside his head and felt uneasy.
What more probable than that Manton had written to his daughter, telling her about the box with him. Just where he kept it, and how much it contained.
If that were so, however, it was evident that at present all considerations were drowned in the grief and excitement the girl felt at the sudden news of her parent's loss.
With a mute but expressive look, she turned towards the young man, her companion, who at once helped her down the gangway, telling the captain that the chest would be sent for.
"Good riddance!" thought Brand; "I must get away from this craft as soon as I can."
Next day he applied for his discharge, which the captain granted. An hour later, Brand and the chest were lodged at a seaman's boarding house in —— street.
Carefully locking his door and pulling down the window curtains, the third officer drew the iron box from the chest. After a long search he found the secret spring, which proved to be one of the small brass nails with which the box was studded.
Trembling with greedy expectation, he pressed against it, when the lid flew open.
Then a strange cry burst from his lips.
The box was empty!