The boatswain, Dowlas, and all the sailors were storming at each
other in frightful rage; and Curtis, who had come forward from
the stern, was vainly endeavouring to pacify them.
"But who has done it? we must know who has done it," said
Dowlas, scowling with vindictive passion on the group around him.
"There's a thief," howled out the boatswain, "and he shall be
found! Let's know who has taken it."
"I haven't taken it!" "Nor I!" "Nor I!" cried the sailors one
after another.
And then they set to work again to ransack every quarter of the
raft; they rolled every spar aside, they overturned everything on
board, and only grew more and more incensed with anger as their
search proved fruitless.
"Can YOU tell us," said the boatswain, coming up to me, "who is
the thief?"
"Thief!" I replied. "I don't know what you mean."
And while we were speaking the others all came up together, and
told me that they had looked everywhere else, and that they were
going now to search the tent.
"Shame!" I said. "You ought to allow those whom you know to he
dying of hunger at least to die in peace. There is not one of us
who has left the tent all night. Why suspect us?"
"Now just look here, Mr. Kazallon," said the boatswain, in a
voice which he was endeavouring to calm down into moderation, "we
are not accusing you of anything; we know well enough you, and
all the rest of you, had a right to your shares as much as
anybody; but that isn't it.
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