CHAPTER XII

THE FIRST MATE TALKS


Williams came up on deck late that afternoon, with a scared face,
and announced that Mr. Turner had locked himself in his cabin, and
was raving in delirium on the other side of the door. I sent Burns
down having decided, in view of Mrs. Johns's accusation, to keep
away from the living quarters of the family. Burns's report
corroborated what Williams had said. Turner was in the grip of
delirium tremens, and the Ella was without owner or officers.

Turner refused to open either door for us. As well as we could make
out, he was moving rapidly but almost noiselessly up and down the
room, muttering to himself, now and then throwing himself on the bed,
only to get up at once. He rang his bell a dozen times, and summoned
Williams, only, in reply to the butler's palpitating knock, to stand
beyond the door and refuse to open it or to voice any request. The
situation became so urgent that finally I was forced to go down,
with no better success.

Mrs. Turner dragged herself across, on the state of affairs being
reported to her, and, after two or three abortive attempts, succeeded
in getting a reply from him.

"Marsh!" she called. "I want to talk to you. Let me in."

"They'll get us," he said craftily.