Chapter 48

CHAPTER XLVIII.

JANUARY 19th.--All through the day the sky remained unclouded and
the heat intense; and night came on without bringing much
sensible moderation in the temperature.  I was unable to get any
sleep, and, towards morning, was disturbed by hearing an angry
clamour going on outside the tent; it aroused M. Letourneur,
Andre and Miss Herbey, as much as myself, and we were anxious to
ascertain the cause of the tumult.

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.  It's all gone somewhere, every bit."

"Yes," said Sandon gruffly; "it's all gone somewheres, and we are
a going to search the tent."

Resistance was useless, and Miss Herbey, M. Letourneur, and Andre
were all turned out.

I confess I was very fearful.  I had a strong suspicion that for
the sake of his son, for whom he was ready to venture anything,
M. Letourneur had committed the theft; in that case I knew that
nothing would have prevented the infuriated men from tearing the
devoted father to pieces.  I beckoned to Curtis for protection,
and he came and stood beside me.  He said nothing, but waited
with his hands in his pockets, and I think I am not mistaken in
my belief that there was some sort of a weapon in each.

To my great relief the search was ineffectual.  There was no
doubt that the carcase of the suicide had been thrown overboard,
and the rage of the disappointed cannibals knew no bounds.

Yet who had ventured to do the deed!  I looked at M. Letourneur
and Miss Herbey; but their countenances at once betrayed their
ignorance.  Andre turned his face away, and his eyes did not meet
my own.  Probably it is he; but, if it be, I wonder whether he
has reckoned up the consequences of so rash an act.