"Look at that," he invited.

They lifted the top. Inside were several sandwiches and a small can of
tea.

"What on earth is this?" Quest demanded.

The Captain, without a word, led them into his inner room. A huge lounge
stood in one corner. He lifted the valance. Underneath were some crumbs.

"You see," he pointed out, "there's room there for a man to have hidden,
especially if he could crawl out on deck at night. I couldn't make out why
the dickens Brown was always sweeping out my room, and I took up this
thing a little time ago and looked at it. This is what I found."

"Where's Brown?" Quest asked quickly.

"I rang down for the chief steward," the Captain continued, "and ordered
Brown to be sent up at once. The chief steward came himself instead. It
seems Brown went off without his wages but with a huge parcel of bedding,
on the first barge this morning, before any one was about."

Quest groaned as he turned away.

"Captain," he declared, "I am ashamed. He has been here all the time and
we've let him slip through our fingers. Girls," he went on briskly,
turning towards Laura, who had just come up, "India's off. We'll catch
this barge, if there's time. Our luggage can be put on shore when the boat
docks."