"Here, sir, on duty," replied the steward.

"Open the door behind you, quick!"

Dave obeyed instantly, and threw the door back so that it was wide open,
though he seemed to be amazed at the strangeness of the order.

"All right, Dave; close it," added Christy, when he saw there was no
one in the passage; and he concluded that Mulgrum was not likely to be
practising his vocation when there was no one in the cabin but himself
and the steward.

Dave obeyed the order like a machine, and then renewed his gaze at the
commander.

"Are you a Freemason, Dave?" asked Christy.

"No, sir," replied the steward with a magnificent smile.

"A Knight of Pythias, of Pythagoras, or anything of that sort?"

"No, sir; nothing of the sort."

"Then you can't keep a secret?"

"Yes, sir, I can. If I have a secret to keep, I will give the whole
Alabama River to any one that can get it out of me."

Christy felt sure of his man without this protestation.