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Doc couldn't have known the pistol was there, for immediately the bag was opened he stood up and let Trask pass out the contents. Peth had been in the room probably fifteen minutes, and part of that time two of the crew were with him.
My daughter's worried." "Oh, Mr Peth's all right," said Jarrow. "His bark's worse'n his bite. He feels a little awkward with you folks aboard, that's all. It was the old man scraped him." "I've already chipped the old man about it," said Locke. "I wish you'd let the matter drop. What did Mr. Peth decide to do?" "He's set on bunkin' with the men," said Jarrow.
"Let's see what this is about. I don't think it's wise to jump at conclusions. What makes you think they're going to steal your island?" "Call the cap'n, sir?" asked Doc, on his way to the companion. "Never mind," said Locke. "What reason have you for believing that Jarrow and Peth want to steal your gold, captain?" asked Trask, gently. "I know," said Dinshaw, wagging his head. "How do you know?"
Jarrow was in a state bordering between exhaltation at his success and collapse over the narrow margin by which he had put through a deal which at one time appeared as elusive as a chimera. "Give me a Picon, and make it strong," said Jarrow to the bar-boy, disregarding Peth, while he scrubbed his face with a handkerchief.
When the card party broke up, and the trio went to the poop-deck, Peth was all smiles, and arranged their chairs on the starboard side. But Locke practically ignored him, except to be officially pleasant, as it had been agreed that unless the mate asked permission to come aft again his status should be exactly like that of the crew.
Doc came up blowing, and began to swim toward the dinghy without further ado. Jarrow now yelled to the rowers to keep backing, and when Peth roared at him to "shut his head," the captain, taking advantage of the confusion, stood up and leaped into the water and began swimming to the schooner quite as fast as Doc swam away from it. "Let me aboard!" cried Jarrow. "All right," said Trask.
Peth, my mate, he's below now," said Jarrow. "Then you are going?" asked Trask. "Am I goin'?" retorted Jarrow. "No! I can't go on my own hook. I thought you folks was goin' that's what I'm here for." "It's all a mistake," said Locke. "We had no intention of misleading the old man." "It will be a terrible disappointment to him," said Marjorie.
Trask left his room and went out on deck as if nothing had happened to arouse his suspicions against anybody in the vessel. But he had an idea that Peth might know what had become of the automatic pistol. Trask found Captain Jarrow pacing the weather side of the poop-deck when he went up.
He pick up his traps an' go. Mr. Peth he done ship de crew. Yo' don' reckon he picked out Cap'n Jarrow's Sunday friends, does ye? No, suh. Mr. Peth, he knows what he's a-doin' of. He looks to be with his own friends when he goes for'ard." "Well, that's a nice arrangement, to have the mate in with the crew and opposed to the captain." "Won't do no harm thataway," said Doc with much assurance.
"Oh, I suppose he's rough with a sailor if it suits his fancy," said Trask, convinced now that Doc was merely making talk, and telling a yarn simply to impress him. "He wouldn't look twice to hang somethin' on a man's haid, Mr. Peth wouldn't.
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