"But he is a
stout fellow, very patriotic, and willing to work."
"All that may be, but I have found him once before hanging around that
door to-day."
At this moment Mulgrum took from his pocket a tablet of paper and a
pencil, and wrote upon it, "I am a deaf mute, and I don't know what you
are talking about." Christy read it, and then wrote, "What were you
doing at the door?" He replied that he had been sent by Mr. Lillyworth
to clean the brasses on the door. He was then dismissed.
CHAPTER IV
A DEAF AND DUMB MYSTERY
As he dismissed Mulgrum, Christy tore off the leaf from the tablet on
which both of them had written before he handed it back to the owner.
For a few moments, he said nothing, and had his attention fixed on the
paper in his hand, which he seemed to be studying for some reason of his
own.
"That man writes a very good hand for one in his position," said he,
looking at the first lieutenant.
"I had noticed that before," replied Flint, as the commander handed
him the paper, which he looked over with interest. "I had some talk with
him on his tablet the day he came on board. He strikes me as a very
intelligent and well-educated man.
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