"Who suggested that the axe be kept in the captain's cabin?"
"Leslie, acting as captain."
"Who had the key?"
"I carried it on a strong line around my neck."
"Whose arrangement was that?"
"Leslie's. He had the key to Mr. Singleton's cabin, and I carried
this one. We divided the responsibility."
"Did you ever give the key to any one?"
"No, sir."
"Did it ever leave you?"
"Not until it was taken away."
"When was that?"
"On Saturday morning, August 22, shortly before dawn."
"Tell what happened."
"I was knocked down from behind, while I was standing at the port
forward corner of the after house. The key was taken from me while
I was unconscious."
"Did you ever see the white object that has been spoken of by the
crew?"
"No, sir. I searched the deck one night when Adams, the lookout,
raised an alarm. We found nothing except--"
"Go on."
"He threw down a marlinespike at something moving in the bow. The
spike disappeared. We couldn't find it, although we could see where
it had struck the deck. Afterwards we found a marlinespike hanging
over the ship's side by a lanyard. It might have been the one we
looked for."
"Explain 'lanyard."'
"A cord--a sort of rope."
"It could not have fallen over the side and hung there?"
"It was fastened with a Blackwell hitch.
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