CHAPTER XXXI
LIFTING THE CURTAIN
The second mate told the truth when he said Paul Shepley was a coward and under the thumb of the former supercargo. That very evening Shepley begged to see Captain Marshall alone, and, when given the opportunity, actually fell on his knees before the master of the Stormy Petrel.
"I am willing to do anything, captain!" he groaned. "Only don't—don't swing me from the—the yardarm!" He had it firmly fixed in his mind that he was to be executed.
"You deserve to be hanged!" answered the captain. "I don't see why I should spare you."
"It was all Van Blott's fault—he fixed the whole thing from beginning to end. He got the stolen cases on board and made me promise to help in getting rid of them. And he got up the plan to run away with the ship."
After that Paul Shepley told his story in detail, and the captain became convinced that the first mate was more of a sneak than a villain.
"I will let you off, upon two conditions," said Captain Marshall, at last. "The first is, that you
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