of the bottles, while
French was holding the other.

"Here's the second mate," said the seaman with the bottle.

"You can keep the bottle you have, Bokes," said Christy. "Now go aft
with it." The sleepy sailor was willing enough to obey such a welcome
order, and the lieutenant took the other bottle to the side and emptied
it into the water. The men did not object, and the new second mate
joined the master in the cabin.

CHAPTER VIII

ON BOARD OF THE COTTON SCHOONER

Probably some, if not all, of the six men in the deck-house of the West
Wind were in the habit of taking intoxicating liquors when they were
ashore, and when it was served out on board of the ship in conformity
with the rules and traditions of the navy. The commander and his
executive officer labored for the promotion of total abstinence among
the officers and crew. More than the usual proportion of the men
commuted their "grog ration" for money, through the influence of the
principal officers.

While the commander of the present expedition accepted the aid of the
powerful ally, "apple-jack," in the service of his country, drinking
freely appeared to him to be about the same thing as going over to the
enemy; and he could not permit his men to turn traitors involuntarily,
when he knew they would not do so of their own free will and accord.
He had settled the liquor question to his own satisfaction in the
deck-house, returning the bottle to French.

When Graines went below, a minute or two later than Captain Sullendine,
he saw his new superior in the act of tossing off another glass of
whiskey, as he concluded it was from the label on the bottle which stood
on the cabin table. He had been considerably exhilarated before, and he
was in a fair way to strengthen the ally of the loyalists by carrying
his powerful influence to the head of the commander of the intending
blockade-runner. The captain seated himself at the table, and Christy
saw that he had a flat bottle in his breast-pocket.

"Now, Mr. Balker, we had better seal up the bargain we've made with
forty drops from this bottle," said he, as he poured out a glass for
himself, regardless of the fact that he had just indulged; and at the
same time he pushed the bottle and another glass towards the new mate.

Graines covered the lower part of the glass with his hand, and poured
a few drops into it. Putting some water with it from the pitcher, he
raised the tumbler in imitation of the captain