There is a pirate about somewhere, and the books show that,
since the stock-taking fifteen months ago, he has eased the craft of
her goods to the tune of two thousand pounds and odd."
John Wilkes flung his pipe on to the table with such force that it
shivered into fragments.
"Dash my timbers!" he exclaimed. "Who is the man? You only give me
the orders, sir, and I am ready to range alongside and board him."
"That is what we have got to find out, John. That the goods have gone
is certain, but how they can have gone beats us altogether."
"Do you mean to say, Captain, that they have stolen them out of the
place under my eyes and me know nothing about it? It can't be, sir.
There must be some mistake. I know naught about figures, save enough
to put down the things I sell, but I don't believe as a thing has
gone out of the shop unbeknown to me. That yarn won't do for me,
sir," and he looked angrily at Cyril.
"It is true enough, John, for all that. The books have been balanced
up. We knew what was in stock fifteen months ago, and we knew from
your sale-book what has passed out of the shop, and from your
entry-book what has come in. We know now what there is remaining. We
find that in bulky goods, such as cables and anchors and ships'
boilers and suchlike, the accounts tally exactly, but in the small
rope, and above all in the copper, there is a big shrinkage. I will
read you the figures of some of them."
John's face grew longer and longer as he heard the totals read.
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