HOBART'S BODY STOLEN
JANUARY 19.--All through the day the sky remained unclouded and the
heat intense; and night came on without bringing much sensible
moderation in the temperature. I was unable to get any sleep, and,
toward morning, was disturbed by hearing an angry clamor going on
outside the tent; it aroused M. Letourneur, Andre, and Miss Herbey, as
much as myself, and we were anxious to ascertain the cause of the
tumult.
The boatswain, Dowlas, and all the sailors were storming at each other
in frightful rage; and Curtis, who had come forward from the stern, was
endeavoring to pacify them.
"But who has done it? we must know who has done it," said Dowlas,
scowling with vindictive passion on the group around him.
"There's a thief," howled out the boatswain, "and he shall be found!
Let's know who has taken it."
"I haven't taken it!" "Nor I! Nor I!" cried the sailors one after
another.
And then they set to work again to ransack every quarter of the raft;
they rolled every spar aside, they overturned everything on board, and
only grew more and more incensed with anger as their search proved
fruitless.
"Can YOU tell us," said the boatswain, coming up to me, "who is the
thief?"
"Thief!" I replied. "I don't know what you mean."
And while we were speaking the others all came up together, and told me
that they had looked everywhere else, and that they were going now to
search the tent.
"Shame!" I said. "You ought to allow those whom you know to be dying of
hunger at least to die in peace. There is not one of us who has left
the tent all night. Why suspect us?"
"Now just look here, Mr. Kazallon," said the boatswain, in a voice
which he was endeavoring to calm down into moderation, "we are not
accusing you of anything; we know well enough you, and all the rest of
you, had a right to your shares as much as anybody; but that isn't it.
It's all gone somewhere, every bit."
"Yes," said Sandon gruffly; "it's all gone somewheres, and we are going
to search the tent."
Resistance was useless, and Miss Herbey, M. Letourneur, and Andre were
all turned out.
I confess I was very fearful. I had a strong suspicion that for the
sake of his son, for whom he was ready to venture anything, M.
Letourneur had committed the theft; in that case I knew that nothing
would have prevented the infuriated men from tearing the devoted father
to pieces. I beckoned to Curtis for protection, and he came and stood
beside me. He said nothing, but waited with his hands in his pockets,
and I think I am not mistaken in my belief that there was some sort of
a weapon in each.
To my great relief the search was ineffectual. There was no doubt that
the carcass of the suicide had been thrown overboard, and the rage of
the disappointed cannibals knew no bounds.
Yet who had ventured to do the deed? I looked at M. Letourneur and Miss
Herbey; but their countenances at once betrayed their ignorance. Andre
turned his face away, and his eyes did not meet my own. Probably it is
he; but, if it be, I wonder whether he has reckoned up the consequences
of so rash an act.