CHAPTER XXXV
_In Which the Issue is Determined_
BILLY Topsail went to the forecastle as he was bid. With Tuttle sonear, he seemed not to have the will to carry out his purpose. Hepassed Archie on the way forward, even responded to his nod and merrygreeting with a wistful smile; but said nothing, for he felt thatTuttle's cold gray eyes were fixed upon him. Archie marked that strangesmile, and thought--it was just a fleeting thought--that Billy mustbe in trouble; he was about to stop, but put the solicitous questionoff--until another time.
Aboard the _Lucky Star_, Captain Black called Johnny Tott to his cabin.It was a serious moment for both, as both knew. The hunter realizedthat the captain would act upon his statement, and that there wouldbe no return, once the course was taken. Moreover, he knew that hewould have to take oath, and support that oath with evidence, in thecourt-room at St. John's.
"Now, John, I wants just the plainest kind o' truth," the captainbegan, for, shorn of his exaggerated dignity, he was a fair,honest-hearted man. "I've been friends with Cap'n Hand ever sincewe was young, an' I've liked him every hour o' that time, an' I'vebelieved in him every minute; so I'm in no humour t' have a fallin'out with him. It'll go hard with the man who wrongfully leads me into_that_. Come, now, what's the _truth_ o' all this?"
"The truth, sir," Johnny replied, slowly, "is this: We left twenty-twotows on the ice last night, every one with a Bryan & Company flagflyin' over it, an' we found but sixteen this mornin'. That's all Iknows about it."
"Did you make the count alone?"
"No, sir. They was three others, which," most importantly, "I canpro-dooce any minute."
"All right, Johnny," said the captain, striking the table with hisfist. "I believe you. You won't find Cap'n Black go back on his crew.I'll have that fat, if I have t' fight for it!"
While this was passing, Captain Hand had summoned Bill o' Burnt Bay,Ebenezer Bowsprit and two or three other trustworthy men to _his_cabin, and requested Archie Armstrong (the good captain seemed toconsider the lad in some measure a representative of the firm) to hearthe interview. One and all, for themselves and for the crew, theyearnestly denied knowledge of any trickery. They regretted, they said,that the incident had occurred; but they believed that the seals werethe property of the ship, and they hoped that the captain would not"see them robbed."
"But, Bill," said the captain, hopelessly, "you didn't _count_ thetows?"
"No, sir," Bill answered, promptly, "I'm bound t' say I didn't. Afteryour two recall guns, sir, we was in a hurry t' get aboard. 'Twas afault, I knows, sir, but it can't be helped now. I don't _know_ thatanybody changed the flags. I hasn't any reason t' _think_ so. So I_believe_ that the fat's ours."
"Well, men," the captain concluded, "that's just my position. I _knows_nothin' t' the contrary; so I got t' believe that the fat's ours.You'll tell the crew that I'll stand by them. We'll take that fat,whatever they tries t' do, an' we'll let the courts decide afterwards.That's all."
There was fret and uncertainty for the captain after the men troopedout. He was an honest man, seeking the right, but not sure that he wasright. It seemed to him that, whatever the outcome, his reputationand that of the firm would be tarnished. In a trial at law, the crewof the _Lucky Star_ and the firm of Alexander Bryan & Company wouldappear as the aggrieved parties. Men would say--yes, men would evenpublicly take oath to it--that Captain Hand was a thief, and that thefirm of Armstrong & Son abused its power and wealth in sustaining him.Not everybody would believe _that_, of course; but many would--and theodium of the charge would never disappear, let the verdict of the jurybe what it might.
"B'y," he said to Archie, in great distress, "'tis a tryin' place t'be in. I wants t' wrong nobody. 'Twould wound me sore t' wrong Cap'nBlack, who's always been my friend. But I got t' have that fat. Asealin' skipper that goes back on his crew is not fit for command. I_must_ stand by the men. If I had an enemy, b'y," he added, "an' thatenemy wanted t' ruin me, he couldn't choose a better----"
Captain Hand stopped dead and stared at the table--stared, and gaped,until his appearance was altogether out of the common.
"What's the matter, cap'n?" asked Archie, alarmed.
At that moment, however, there was a knock at the door. Billy Topsailcame in, pale and wide-eyed; but the sight of Archie seemed to composehim.
"I got t' tell you about Tim Tuttle," he began, hurriedly. "I hearsthere's goin' t' be a fight, an'--an'--I got t' tell you that I seedhim change the flags on the tows."
"What!" shouted the captain, jumping out of his chair.
And so it all came out. At the end of the talk, Billy Topsail wasassured by the smiling captain that he need not fear Tim Tuttle after aword or two had been spoken with him. Bill o' Burnt Bay was summoned,and corroborated Billy's statement that Tuttle was the last man toleave the tows. And Tuttle was the captain's enemy! Everybody knew it.The difficulties were thus all brushed away. The crew would accept theexplanation and be content. Tuttle would be ridiculed until he was wellpunished for the trick that had so nearly succeeded. It was a goodending to the affair--a far better outcome than any man aboard haddared hope for.
"Bill," said the captain, with an odd little smile, "send Tim Tuttle t'Cap'n Black, with my compliments; an' will Cap'n Black be so kind as t'accept my apology, and have a friendly cup o' tea with me immediate?"
* * * * *
Later, when Tuttle left the captain's cabin, after the "word or two"had been spoken, he was not grateful for the generous treatment hehad received. He meditated further mischief; but before the secondopportunity offered, there happened something which put animosity outof the hearts of all the crew.