seen it, and it was necessary to take only a step to one side of the stairway to reach it. Any one going up the steps from supper could have picked it up easily without being noticed.”
“What were you doing with the hammer?”
“I was making a case for the executive officer, sir. He wanted a case with pigeonholes to hold some of his account books.”
“Then you were using small nails to fasten in the partitions with, I take it.”
“Yes, sir, some long, thin, finishing nails. They were like these, sir.” And the carpenter thrust his hand into his pocket, drew forth an assortment of nails, and fished out a finishing nail that was the duplicate of those Henry had so recently found.
“Give it to me,” directed the captain.
“It looks to me,” continued the commander, after the carpenter had handed him the nail, “as though some one coming up to the deck after eating must have picked up your hammer and perhaps some nails with it.”
“I can’t say about the nails,—they were. scattered about on the case,—but there is no doubt some one got the hammer.”
“It looks as though young Black got it,” said the quartermaster.
The captain dismissed the two men. “I don’t want a word said about this,” he warned them.