The battered Ditty stumbled down the cabin steps. He could scarcely see out of his single eye; but that eye glittered malevolently when it fell upon Allen Drew. "Sit down, Mr. Ditty," said the captain evenly. "We've got to get to the bottom of this business. You've said something, Mr. Ditty, that's got to go down on the log--and it's going to make you a peck of trouble if you don't prove it. You understand that?" "I know it," snarled Ditty, through his puffed lips. "He done it." "You lying hound!" muttered Drew. Captain Hamilton ignored this. He said: "What makes you say that Mr. Drew flung Mr. Parmalee overboard?" "Because I seen him do it," answered Ditty. Drew started for the mate again, but Tyke held him back. "Go ahead, Mr. Ditty. Tell your story," commanded the captain curtly. "They was both standin' abaft the mizzen," the mate began, "and I heard 'em quarrelin' about something. I went there, thinkin' to stop 'em if it was anything serious, and jest as I got near 'em I seen Mr. Parmalee up and hit Mr. Drew on the head with his cane. Then, before you could say Jack Robinson, Mr. Drew picked up Mr. Parmalee as if he had been a baby and threw him over the rail." There was a stifled murmur from the group. "Why didn't you give the alarm and lower a boat?" asked the captain. "I was goin' to, but Mr. Drew turned round and saw me. He whipped a gun out of his pocket and swore he'd shoot me if I gave the alarm or said a word. He held me under the point of his gun till it was too late to lower a boat, and only let me go after I promised him I'd keep mum about the hull thing." "You're a fine sailorman," charged the captain bitterly, "to let a man drown without doing anything to help him! Why didn't you take a chance?" "He had the drop on me," mumbled the mate. The captain turned to Drew. "What about it?" he asked. "Do I have to deny such a yarn?" the young man burst out hotly. "What can I say except that this infernal scoundrel is lying? The whole ridiculous story is as new to me as it is to you. The last time I saw Mr. Parmalee was when he was standing beside me on the deck last night. I never laid a finger on him!" "Where were you standing?" asked the captain. "Just where Ditty says I was," replied Drew frankly. "That part of the story is true. And it's the only thing in it that is true." "Did you have any unfriendly words with Mr. Parmalee?" "Not a word," was the answer. "Ask him if he ever had any quarrel with him afore that," snarled the mate. "I know all about that," replied the captain sharply. "I was there myself. It was just a little misunderstanding, and it blew over in a minute." "Ev'ry one on board knows there was bad blood 'twixt 'em," put in the mate, "and they come pretty nigh to guessin' the reason for it, too," he added with a leering glance at Ruth. "Stop, you dog!" shouted the captain in sudden rage. "If you say another word along that line I'll knock you down!"