of Edwards.

"As good as told me I'd missed the point of the thing," said the ensign,
flushing. "Perhaps he can make more of it himself. At any rate, he's
going to try. Here he is now."

"Dr. Trendon," said the captain, appearing. "You will please to go with
me to the schooner."

"Yes, sir," said the surgeon, rising from his chair with such alacrity as
to draw from Ives the sardonic comment:

"Why, I actually believe old Trendon is excited."

For two hours after the departure of the captain and Trendon there were
dull times on the quarter-deck of the _Wolverine_. Then the surgeon
came back to them.

"Billy was right," he said.

"But he didn't tell us anything," cried Ives. "He didn't clear up the
mystery."

"That's what," said Trendon. "One thing Billy said," he added, waxing
unusually prolix for him, "was truer than maybe he knew."

"Thanks," murmured the ensign. "What was that?"

"You said 'Not a living being aboard.' Exact words, hey?"