But Dave broke away from them after expressing his gratitude.
His head very erect and his shoulders squared, the young ensign walked to the captain's office.
"Darrin," began the Old Man, "if you are as innocent as I want to believe you to be in this matter, then do all in your power to help me clear your name." "Very good, sir," Dave responded.

"In the first place, sir, the important letter was in its envelope when I turned over to you the package entrusted to me by the consul." "It was," nodded Captain Gales.
"And I have not since been in your office, sir.

You know that of your own knowledge, and from what the marine orderly has been able to inform you, sir ?" "I am satisfied that you were not in thus office after you delivered the packet," replied the Old Man.
"Then I could not have taken it from your desk, sir." "I am well satisfied of that," assented Captain Gales.

"The only untoward circumstance is that the envelope was found in your quarters." "Then, sir," Dave argued, "it is established that I could not have been the principal in the theft that was committed in your office this afternoon.

That being so, the only suspicion possibly remaining against me is that I may have been an accomplice." "No lawyer could have put that more clearly," replied Captain Gales.
"Now, sir," Dave continued, bravely, "if the important letter of instructions, or even if only the envelope had been handed me, is it likely, sir, that I would have hidden it under my mattress, when I might as readily have burned it or dropped it overboard ?" "Any clear-headed man, I admit," said the Captain, "would have destroyed the useless envelope sooner than have it found in his possession." "The only possible use to which the otherwise useless envelope could have been put, sir, was to incriminate me.