“Stopthis，Pinkerton。”Ibrokein。“Iknowtheaddress：924
MissionStreet。”
IdonotknowwhetherPinkertonorBellairswasthemoretakenaback。
“Whyinsnakesdidn’tyousayso，Loudon？”criedmyfriend。
“Youdidn’taskforitbefore。”saidI，colouringtomytemplesunderhistroubledeyes。
ItwasBellairswhobrokesilence，kindlysupplyingmewithallthatIhadyettolearn。“SinceyouknowMr。Dickson’saddress。”saidhe，plainlyburningtoberidofus，“IsupposeI
needdetainyounolonger。”
IdonotknowhowPinkertonfelt，butIhaddeathinmysoulaswecamedowntheoutsidestair，fromthedenofthisblotchedspider。Mywholebeingwasstrung，waitingforJim’sfirstquestion，andpreparedtoblurtout，Ibelieve，almostwithtears，afullavowal。Butmyfriendaskednothing。
“Wemusthackit。”saidhe，tearingoffinthedirectionoftheneareststand。“Notimetobelost。YousawhowIchangedground。Nouseinpayingtheshyster’scommission。”
AgainIexpectedareferencetomysuppression；againIwasdisappointed。ItwasplainJimfearedthesubject，andIfeltI
almosthatedhimforthatfear。Atlast，whenwewerealreadyinthehackanddrivingtowardsMissionStreet，Icouldbearmysuspensenolonger。
“Youdonotaskmeaboutthataddress。”saidI。
“No。”saidhe，quicklyandtimidly。“Whatwasit？Iwouldliketoknow。”
Thenoteoftimidityoffendedmelikeabuffet；mytemperroseashotasmustard。“Imustrequestyoudonotaskme。”saidI。
“ItisamatterIcannotexplain。”
Themomentthefoolishwordsweresaid，thatmomentIwouldhavegivenworldstorecallthem：howmuchmore，whenPinkerton，pattingmyhand，replied：“Allright，dearboy；notanotherword；that’salldone。I’mconvincedit’sperfectlyright。”Toreturnuponthesubjectwasbeyondmycourage；butIvowedinwardlythatIshoulddomyutmostinthefutureforthismadspeculation，andthatIwouldcutmyselfinpiecesbeforeJimshouldloseonedollar。
WehadnosoonerarrivedattheaddressthanIhadotherthingstothinkof。
“Mr。Dickson？He’sgone。”saidthelandlady。
Wherehadhegone？
“I’msureIcan’ttellyou。”sheanswered。“Hewasquiteastrangertome。”
“Didheexpresshisbaggage，ma’am？”askedPinkerton。
“Hadn’tany。”wasthereply。“Hecamelastnightandleftagainto-daywithasatchel。”
“Whendidheleave？”Iinquired。
“Itwasaboutnoon。”repliedthelandlady。“Someonerangupthetelephone，andaskedforhim；andIreckonhegotsomenews，forheleftrightaway，althoughhisroomsweretakenbytheweek。Heseemedconsiderableputout：Ireckonitwasadeath。”
Myheartsank；perhapsmyidioticjesthadindeeddrivenhimaway；andagainIaskedmyself，Why？andwhirledforamomentinavortexofuntenablehypotheses。
“Whatwashelike，ma’am？”Pinkertonwasasking，whenI
returnedtoconsciousnessofmysurroundings。
“Acleanshavedman。”saidthewoman，andcouldbeledordrivenintonomoresignificantdescription。
“Pullupatthenearestdrug-store。”saidPinkertontothedriver；
andwhenthere，thetelephonewasputinoperation，andthemessagespedtothePacificMailSteamshipCompany’soffice——
thiswasinthedaysbeforeSpreckelshadarisen——“WhendoesthenextChinasteamertouchatHonolulu？”
“TheCityofPekin；shecastoffthedockto-day，athalf-pastone。”camethereply。
“It’saclearcaseofbolt。”saidJim。“He’sskipped，ormyname’snotPinkerton。He’sgonetoheadusoffatMidwayIsland。”
SomehowIwasnotsosure；therewereelementsinthecase，notknowntoPinkerton——thefearsofthecaptain，forexample——thatinclinedmeotherwise；andtheideathatIhadterrifiedMr。Dicksonintoflight，thoughrestingonsoslenderafoundation，clungobstinatelyinmymind。“Shouldn’tweseethelistofpassengers？”Iasked。
“Dicksonissuchablamedcommonname。”returnedJim；“andthen，aslikeasnot，hewouldchangeit。”
AtthisIhadanotherintuition。Anegativeofastreetscene，takenunconsciouslywhenIwasabsorbedinotherthought，roseinmymemorywithnotafeatureblurred：aview，fromBellairs’sdooraswewerecomingdown，ofmuddyroadway，passingdrays，mattedtelegraphwires，aChinaboywithabasketonhishead，and(almostopposite)acornergrocerywiththenameofDicksoningreatgiltletters。
“Yes。”saidI，“youareright；hewouldchangeit。Andanyway，Idon’tbelieveitwashisnameatall；IbelievehetookitfromacornergrocerybesideBellairs’s。”
“Aslikeasnot。”saidJim，stillstandingonthesidewalkwithcontractedbrows。
“Well，whatshallwedonext？”Iasked。
“Thenaturalthingwouldbetorushtheschooner。”hereplied。
“ButIdon’tknow。Itelephonedthecaptaintogoatitheaddownandheelsinair；heansweredlikealittleman；andI
guesshe’sgettingaround。Ibelieve，Loudon，we’llgiveTrentachance。Trentwasinit；hewasinituptotheneck；evenifhecouldn’tbuy，hecouldgiveusthestraighttip。”
“Ithinkso，too。”saidI。“Whereshallwefindhim？”
“Britishconsulate，ofcourse。”saidJim。“Andthat’sanotherreasonfortakinghimfirst。Wecanhustlethatschoonerupallevening；butwhentheconsulate’sshut，it’sshut。”
Attheconsulate，welearnedthatCaptainTrenthadalighted(suchisIbelievetheclassicphrase)attheWhatCheerHouse。
Tothatlargeandunaristocratichostelrywedrove，andaddressedourselvestoalargeclerk，whowaschewingatoothpickandlookingstraightbeforehim。
“CaptainJacobTrent？”
“Gone。”saidtheclerk。
“Wherehashegone？”askedPinkerton。
“Cain’tsay。”saidtheclerk。
“Whendidhego？”Iasked。
“Don’tknow。”saidtheclerk，andwiththesimplicityofamonarchofferedusthespectacleofhisbroadback。
WhatmighthavehappenednextIdreadtopicture，forPinkerton’sexcitementhadbeengrowingsteadily，andnowburneddangerouslyhigh；butweweresparedextremitiesbytheinterventionofasecondclerk。
“Why！Mr。Dodd！”heexclaimed，runningforwardtothecounter。“Gladtoseeyou，sir！CanIdoanythinginyourway？”
Howvirtuousactionsblossom！HerewasayoungmantowhosepleasedearsIhadrehearsed_Justbeforethebattle，mother，_atsomeweeklypicnic；andnow，inthattensemomentofmylife，hecame(fromthemachine)tobemyhelper。
“CaptainTrent，ofthewreck？Oyes，Mr。Dodd；heleftabouttwelve；heandanotherofthemen。TheKanakawentearlierbytheCityofPekin；Iknowthat；Irememberexpressinghischest。
CaptainTrent？I’llinquire，Mr。Dodd。Yes，theywereallhere。
Herearethenamesontheregister；perhapsyouwouldcaretolookatthemwhileIgoandseeaboutthebaggage？”
Idrewthebooktowardme，andstoodlookingatthefournamesallwritteninthesamehand，ratherabigandratherabadone：Trent，Brown，Hardy，and(insteadofAhSing)Jos。
Amalu。
“Pinkerton。”saidI，suddenly，“haveyouthat_Occidental_inyourpocket？”
“Neverleftme。”saidPinkerton，producingthepaper。
Iturnedtotheaccountofthewreck。“Here。”saidI；“here’sthename。’EliasGoddedaal，mate。’WhydowenevercomeacrossEliasGoddedaal？”
“That’sso。”saidJim。“Washewiththerestinthatsaloonwhenyousawthem？”
“Idon’tbelieveit。”saidI。“Theywereonlyfour，andtherewasnonethatbehavedlikeamate。”
Atthismomenttheclerkreturnedwithhisreport。
“Thecaptain。”itappeared，“camewithsomekindofanexpresswaggon，andheandthemantookoffthreechestsandabigsatchel。Ourporterhelpedtoputthemon，buttheydrovethecartthemselves。Theporterthinkstheywentdowntown。Itwasaboutone。”
“StillintimefortheCityofPekin。”observedJim。
“Howmanyofthemwerehere？”Iinquired。
“Three，sir，andtheKanaka。”repliedtheclerk。“Ican’tsomehowfinoutaboutthethird，buthe’sgonetoo。”
“Mr。Goddedaal，themate，wasn’therethen？”Iasked。
“No，Mr。Dodd，nonebutwhatyousee。”saystheclerk。
“Noryouneverheardwherehewas？”
“No。Anyparticularreasonforfindingthesemen，Mr。Dodd？”
inquiredtheclerk。
“ThisgentlemanandIhaveboughtthewreck。”Iexplained；
“wewishedtogetsomeinformation，anditisveryannoyingtofindthemenallgone。”
Acertaingrouphadgraduallyformedaboutus，forthewreckwasstillamatterofinterest；andatthis，oneofthebystanders，aroughseafaringman，spokesuddenly。
“Iguessthematewon’tbegone。”saidhe。“He’smainsick；
neverleftthesick-bayaboardtheTempest；sotheytellME。”
Jimtookmebythesleeve。“Backtotheconsulate。”saidhe。
ButevenattheconsulatenothingwasknownofMr。
Goddedaal。ThedoctoroftheTempesthadcertifiedhimverysick；hehadsenthispapersin，butneverappearedinpersonbeforetheauthorities。
“HaveyouatelephonelaidontotheTempest？”askedPinkerton。
“Laidonyesterday。”saidtheclerk。
“Doyoumindasking，orlettingmeask？WeareveryanxioustogetholdofMr。Goddedaal。”
“Allright。”saidtheclerk，andturnedtothetelephone。“I’msorry。”hesaidpresently，“Mr。Goddedaalhaslefttheship，andnooneknowswhereheis。”
“Doyoupaythemen’spassagehome？”Iinquired，asuddenthoughtstrikingme。
“Iftheywantit。”saidtheclerk；“sometimestheydon’t。ButwepaidtheKanaka’spassagetoHonoluluthismorning；andbywhatCaptainTrentwassaying，Iunderstandtherestaregoinghometogether。”
“Thenyouhaven’tpaidthem？”saidI。
“Notyet。”saidtheclerk。
“Andyouwouldbeagooddealsurprised，ifIweretotellyoutheyweregonealready？”Iasked。
“O，Ishouldthinkyouweremistaken。”saidhe。
“Suchisthefact，however。”saidI。
“Iamsureyoumustbemistaken。”herepeated。
“MayIuseyourtelephoneonemoment？”askedPinkerton；andssoonaspermissionhadbeengranted，Iheardhimringuptheprinting-officewhereouradvertisementswereusuallyhandled。
MoreIdidnothear；forsuddenlyrecallingthebig，badhandintheregisteroftheWhatCheerHouse，IaskedtheconsulateclerkifhehadaspecimenofCaptainTrent’swriting。
WhereuponIlearnedthatthecaptaincouldnotwrite，havingcuthishandopenalittlebeforethelossofthebrig；thatthelatterpartofthelogevenhadbeenwrittenupbyMr。
Goddedaal；andthatTrenthadalwayssignedwithhislefthand。BythetimeIhadgleanedthisinformation，Pinkertonwasready。
“That’sallthatwecando。Nowfortheschooner。”saidhe；
“andbyto-morroweveningIlayhandsonGoddedaal，ormyname’snotPinkerton。”
“Howhaveyoumanaged？”Iinquired。
“You’llseebeforeyougettobed。”saidPinkerton。“Andnow，afterallthisbackwardingandforwarding，andthathotelclerk，andthatbugBellairs，it’llbeachangeandakindofconsolationtoseetheschooner。Iguessthingsarehummingthere。”
