Blow the Man Down - A Romance of the Coast

But when Bradish appeared, answering the captain's summons, all his

chattiness had left him. He declared that he knew nothing about the

trouble in the Montana case.

"But you said something about a scheme to fool a green captain?"

"It was only gossip--I probably got it wrong. I have thought it over and

really can't remember where I heard it or much about it. Might have been

just newspaper faking."

He kept peering about the dimly lighted room.

"You needn't worry, young man. That nigger isn't here."

"But he said he was a white man. And how does he come to be interested?"

"It's a nigger gone crazy about that case--he has probably been reading

fake stories in the papers, too," stated Captain Downs, grimly. "I must

remind you again, Bradish, that you were talking to me in pretty lively

style."

"Oh, a man lets out a lot of guesswork when he is nervous about his own

business."

"Well, I might fix it so that you'd be a little less nervous, providing

you'll show a more willing disposition when I ask you a few questions,"

probed the skipper. But this insistence alarmed Bradish and his blinking

eyes revealed his fears and suspicions.

"I don't know anything about the Montana case. I don't intend to do

any talking about it."

Captain Downs tapped harder on the table, scowled, and was silent.

"Anything else, sir?" inquired Bradish, after a pause.

"Guess not, if that's the way you feel about it!" snapped Captain Downs.

Bradish went back into the main saloon, and the eavesdropper ventured

forth.

"I don't know just what the dickens to do about you, now that I know who

you are," confessed the master, looking Mayo up and down.

"There isn't anything to do except let me go back to my work, sir."

"I'm in a devil of a position. You're a captain."

"I shipped on board here before the mast, Captain Downs, and knew

exactly what I was doing. I'll take my medicine."

"I don't like to have you go for'ard there among those cattle, Mayo."

"Captain Downs, it was wrong for me to make the break I did on your

quarter-deck. I ought to have kept still; but the thing came to me so

sudden that I went all to pieces. I'd like to step back into the crew

and have you forget that I'm Boyd Mayo. I'll sneak ashore in Boston and

lose myself."