“Supposing I told you that the man left the ship, alive and sound in the breeches-buoy, and got here in this condition.”
“Does the buoy carry more than one at a time?”
“No.”
“Then it isn’t possible.”
“Well, there’s plenty of evidence as to his arrival. Now let’s see about his departure. Were you aboard when this man left the schooner?” Haynes asked, turning to one of the two sailors at hand.
“Yes, sir. Me an’ Darky John came after him. We helped fasten him in.”
“Who else was there?”
“The Old Man, an’ Buckley the mate, an’ that queer Dago feller.”
“There wasn’t any fight or trouble about who should come first?”
“No, sir. The Old Man gave his orders. Petersen, here, he leaves fifth, I think. ‘Good-bye, boys. See you later,’ he says, an’ off he goes. Next I see of him, he lies here dead. What killed him or how, I don’t know, no more than a blind fish.”