low?" I said hastily; "for I don't know any
better."

"Then you ought to, sir; you a orficer and brought up proper. I wonder
at you a-leading men into trouble, and there'll be an awful row when old
Brymer finds us out."

"He's got it, sir," said Bob Hampton. "It's what I thought, and it's a
rum 'un."

"Then, where are we?" I said pettishly; for my head kept on feeling as
if it was spinning round.

"Why, sir," said Dumlow; "we're down in the hold among them sperrit
casks as was stowed by themselves, and some one's been opening one of
'em with a gimlet and letting us all drink."

"Hist!"

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

A long, low knocking as of knuckles against a bulk-head.

"Come in!" growled Bob Hampton. "Here's the cook brought your
shaving-water, sir."

The tapping was repeated, and sounded some little distance off.

"Answer them, whoever it is, Bob," I said; for this seemed to be
something, if not tangible, at all events certain.

There was a little rustling about, and the tapping came again.

"Why don't you answer them?" I said tetchily.

"What do you mean, sir--shout?"

"No, no; tap again."

"But there arn't nothin' to knock on, sir. It's no good to hit the top,
or the floor."

"But there must be a partition somewhere," I said.

"Dessay there is, sir; but I can't tell where it is."

"Are we not somewhere near the forecastle?"

"Dessay we are, sir; but my head's some'at like a lump o' solid wood.
What did you bring us down here for?"

"I! Bring you down! Nonsense, man. I did not bring you."

"Then how did we come, sir? Do you know, Neb?"

"No."

"Do you, Barney?"

"No. I only knows here we are, and my head's a rum 'un."

"But there must be some reason for us being here," I said piteously, as
I struggled vainly to get beyond what seemed to be a black curtain
hanging between the past and present.

"Yes, sir," said Bob, coolly; "there must be some reason."

"Then what is it, Bob?"

"Oh, don't ask me, sir; I arn't no scholard. I'm all muzzly like.
Seems to me that we've been to one o' they casks,--and all the time it
don't. No; we arn't had no drink. We shouldn't with all that there
trouble a-hanging over us."

"Yes, Bob," I said eagerly, for he had touched a chord which set me
thinking--I mean trying to think; "that trouble hanging over us. There
was some trouble, wasn't there?"

"Oh yes, sir; we was in a lot o' trouble about something, but blest if I
know what it was."