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.And that Mr.Torkling here found youbefore something else came down on your heads.""Though I'm afraid that the Old Man is in the mood to finish you off himself,"Torkling said dryly."So if you really can get up now, I think you'd better.The longer you put off seeing him, the less he'll like it-once he knows you'reable to move.""Of course if you had some very good excuse for being down here-" the chiefsteward began, obviously in an effort to encourage them."We thought it was a good excuse, but the captain may not agree with us,"Sandy told him."Come on, Ken.Let's face the music.It certainly was luckyyou found us, Mr.Torkling," he added."How'd it happen? Were you looking forus?""Looking for you?" TorkJing seemed puzzled."Of course not.In a blow likethis we check the cargo pretty regularly, especially in a partially filledhold like this one.Shifting cargo is one of the worst dangers a freighterfaces at sea.So I came down here as a matter of course.Found two of thejeeps banging their bumpers together like a couple of angry goats, and thiscase broken through the dunnage and shattered." He gestured upward to wheretwo timbers had snapped, leaving a gaping hole through which the crate hadobviously crashed."And of course I found you too."It's my business," he went on, "to see that things are secure in the holds.And two unconscious passengers aren't included in my idea of security.Thecaptain's going to ask you this question, of course, but I'm asking it too:What were you doing down here?" He pulled something out of his pocket andthe captain's ultimatum 115handed it to Sandy."I assume it had something to do with this paper I foundlying on the floor beside you," he added."But just what was your purpose?"Ken caught his breath.The blow he had received had knocked out of his headtheir reason for going down into the hold.Now, at the sight of thepractically blank paper, he remembered.As he lifted his arm to look at hiswatch, he saw Sandy making the same movement."Ten o'clock!" Sandy exclaimed."It may already be too late.But if Global canget the police on the job, maybe it can-"Torkling broke into his swift, incoherent speech in a voice of authority thatreminded the boys of his position as chief officer of the ship."You haven'tanswered my question," he said."You will do that now, please, and then youwill report immediately to the captain.""We wanted to get the names of the senders and receivers of these crates tohave them checked for authenticity," Sandy explained, rattling off the wordsas fast as he could speak."We know nobody agrees with us, but we still thinkMr.Gerard may be alive and in hiding somewhere in this hold.So we-""That nonsense again!" Torkling interrupted him sharply."All right, Steward."He glanced at the man who still stood by."Take these two young men up to thecaptain.I don't know whether you realize"-he turned back to the boys-"whattrouble you could have caused for this ship's crew and owners if you'd beenseriously hurt down here.Probably you're too young and heedless to think ofsuch things, but don't be surprised if the captain gives you a pretty hardtime over this business.Go along with you now.I've got to stay here to getthis broken116 THE MYSTERY OF THE SHATTERED GLASScrate out of the way and the dunnage back in shape.""If we could just have a couple of more minutes down here," Sandy began, "andthe chance to send a radiogram to New York-"Page 47 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"If you're strong enough to get up that ladder, you're going out of here rightnow." Torkling's flat statement permitted no argument."That's the captain'sorder.He made it clear he wanted to see you at the first possible moment."The steward stepped quickly forward to help Sandy hoist Ken to his feet, andgave both boys a sympathetic glance.But they were looking at each other,their eyes meeting in acknowledgment of the fact that they could do nothingbut obey the chief officer.The ship gave another abrupt roll just then, and the sure-footed steward hadto steady them both.The need to accept his aid added the final element totheir sense of helplessness.Neither of them spoke again as they made their way, weaving unevenly acrossthe pitching deck, to the ladder
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