"Here, messmate." "Oh, come then, I might be right, on'y you see we've got Mr Dale with us." "Look here, what are you fogging about? Why don't you say what yer mean, my lad? Now then, out with it. Where are we?--'cause Mr Dale wants to know." "Well, as he's here, we can't be here," growled Dumlow. "What d'yer mean, stoopid?" "Why, we can't be where I thought we was." "And wheers that?" "Why, my lad, it looks like this here 'cording to what I feels. But stop a moment, let's ask Barney a question. Barney, old lad!" "Hullo!" "How's yer head?" "Just as if it was a beehive, and all the bees swarming." "That's it. Then we are here, and all I've got to say for myself is, as I wonder I could ha' been such a fool, and I'm sorry as Mr Dale don't know better." "Then where are we, Dumlow?" 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."