"I ordered it overboard," I said.

Turner whirled on me, incredulity and rage in his face.

"You!"

I put the best face I could on the matter, and eyed him steadily.
"There has been too much drinking on this ship," I said. "If you
doubt it, go up and look at the three bodies on the deck."

"What have you to do about it?" His eyes were narrowed; there was
menace in every line of his face.

"With Schwartz gone, Captain Richardson dead, and Singleton in irons,
the crew had no officers. They asked me to take charge."

"So! And you used your authority to meddle with what does not
concern you The ship has an officer while I am on it. And there
will be no mutiny."

He flung into the main cabin, and made for the forward companionway.
I stepped back to allow Miss Lee to precede me. She was standing,
her back to the dressing-stand, facing the door. She looked at me
and made a helpless gesture with her hands, as if the situation
were beyond her. Then I saw her look down. She took a quick step
or two toward the door, and, stooping picked up some small object
from almost under my foot. The incident would have passed without
notice, had she not, in attempting to wrap it in her handkerchief,
dropped it. I saw then that it was a key.