Page:The Night Born (London,1913).djvu/176

"You can't give me that sort of talk."

"I can't retain a captain who calls me a liar."

Captain Dettmar for the moment was taken aback. His face and lips worked, but he could say nothing. Duncan coolly pulled at his cigar and glanced aft at the rising cloud of squall.

"Lee Goom brought the mail aboard at Tahiti," Captain Dettmar began. "We were hove short then and leaving. You did n't look at your letters until we were outside, and then it was too late. That's why you didn't discharge me at Tahiti. Oh, I know. I saw the long envelope when Lee Goom came over the side. It was from the Governor of California, printed on the corner for any one to see. You 'd been working behind my back. Some beachcomber in Honolulu had whispered to you, and you 'd written to the Governor to find out. And that was his answer Lee Goom carried out to you. Why did n't you come to me like a man? No, you must play underhand with me, knowing that this billet was the one chance for me to get on my feet again. And as soon as you read the Governor's letter your mind was made up to get rid of me. I 've seen it on your face ever since for all these months. I 've seen the two of you, polite as hell to me all