Through many years he had witnessed tragedy of one kind and another.

It was not strange to him.

But a look of wonderment shot into his eyes at Alan's words.

It took only a few seconds to tell what had happened the preceding night, without going into details.

The captain's hand was on Alan's arm when he finished, and the flesh under his fingers was rigid and hard as steel.
"We'll talk with Rossland after the boats return," he said.
He drew Alan from the room and closed the door.
Not until he had reentered his own cabin did Alan realize he still held the crushed shoe in his hand.