“What the devil do you mean? Where’s Mr. Luke?”
“He had the morning watch. He’s gone too. It’s his chaps as is hocussed. Leastways, they’re lying on the deck like logs. And Mr. Batters, he’s gone. And his things. His cabin’s stripped clean. And his daughter, she’s gone.”
“Holley!”
I was thrusting myself into a pair of trousers. All of a sudden the ship stopped dead, with an unpleasant shock.
“What’s that? She can’t have struck!”
I rushed up. Rudd met me.
“I have to report to you, sir, that the engine’s ceased to work.”
“Very well. Patch it up and start it again as soon as you can. It’s not the first time it’s stopped.”
“But I’m thinking it’ll be the last. Someone’s been playing tricks with the machine. I’m fearing it’s Mr. Luke.”