If a bombshell had exploded at Captain Blynn’s feet he could not have appeared more astounded.
“And you passed this insurgent officer out of our lines?” he asked incredulously.
Phil nodded, his throat dry and his mind stunned with a sudden fear.
“This is certainly a queer proceeding!” the army man exclaimed. “I cannot fathom it. Do you realize what you have done? Can you not see that Lieutenant Tillotson’s disappearance will be laid at your door? But surely,” he added, “there is some explanation which you can make? You could hardly be so foolish as to plot against the life or even the liberty of a brother officer.”
Phil gave a sudden exclamation of surprised indignation, and with flashing eyes he turned angrily on his accuser.
“I didn’t see your meaning at first,” he said in a low, intense voice but one that carried distinctly over the ship. “How dare you to insinuate this to my face and on board my ship?—Captain Blynn, there’s the gangway!” he cried sternly, his face now deathly pale but his jaw set firmly.
Captain Blynn rose hurriedly from his chair, his dark face swollen with passion; his black eyes flashed, while his strong hands clutched his chair nervously. He was about to speak, but Phil cut him short, pointing his finger toward the exit to the deck.
“I hope, Captain Blynn,” he said quietly though his lips were trembling, “that you will see the uselessness of further talk and will go ashore as I have bid you.”
“You confounded little whipper-snapper!” the captain exploded wrathfully. The stern judge-advocate was unused to such treatment; he had always bullied those under him and in a measure by the very force of his will, many of those senior to him in rank. But angry as he was he realized that the midshipman was quite within his rights. He was on board his own ship, and there he was supreme.
“Captain Blynn, I hope it will not be necessary for me to have you escorted across the gangway,” Phil reiterated, his voice showing perfect control of temper. The lad glanced forward meaningly to where many of the crew had collected, intently listening to the heated colloquy between their young captain and this big, blustering army officer.