The captain was a brave man,
but the apparition, gleaming in the almost complete darkness, had
been on him before he could do more than throw up his hands.
Jones had not finished. He went back to the chart-room and possibly
even went on deck and took a look at the wheel. Then he went down
again and killed the Hansen woman.
He was exceedingly cunning. He flung the axe into the room, and
was up and at the wheel again, all within a few seconds. To tear
off and fold up the sheet, to hide it under near-by cordage, to
strike the ship's bell and light his pipe--all this was a matter
of two or three minutes. I had only time to look at Vail. When I
got up to the wheel, Jones was smoking quietly.
I believe he tried to get Singleton later, and failed. But he
continued his devotions on the forward deck, visible when clad in
his robe, invisible when he took it off. It was Jones, of course,
who attacked Burns and secured the key to the captain's cabin;
Jones who threw the axe overboard after hearing the crew tell that
on its handle were finger-prints to identify the murderer; Jones
who, while on guard in the after house below, had pushed the key
to the storeroom under Turner's door; Jones who hung the
marlinespike over the side, waiting perhaps for another chance
at Singleton; Jones, in his devotional attire, who had frightened
the crew into hysteria, and who, discovered by Mrs.
Pages:
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206