So saying, the athletic soldier threw his arm affectionately around Frank, hurried him away to his bunk, and tumbled him into it without much ceremony. Not unobserved, however. Captain Edney, who had had an anxious eye on Frank of late, saw him retire to his quarters in this rather suspicious manner. "What's the matter with him?" he inquired of Seth. "Nothing very serious, I believe, sir," replied Tucket, with the most perfect seriousness. "A little seasick, or sunthin of the kind. He'll git over it in a jiffy." The waves were not running sufficiently high in the sound, however, to render the theory of seasickness very plausible; and, to satisfy his mind, Captain Edney approached Frank's bunk, putting to him the same question. Frank replied in scarcely intelligible language, with a swimming gaze, tending to the cross-eyed, at the captain, "that there was nothing in partiggler the mare with him, but he was very busy. "Busy?" said Captain Edney, severely; "what do you mean?" "Not busy; but _busy, busy_!" repeated Frank. "You mean dizzy?" "Yes, thad's it! bizzy." He had somehow got _boozy_ and _dizzy_ mixed up. "What makes you dizzy?" "Boys gimme some drink, I donowat." "The boys gave you some drink? You don't know what?--Tucket," said Captain Edney, "what's all this? Who has been getting that boy drunk?" Seth perceived that any attempt to disguise the truth would be futile, except so far as it might be possible by ingenious subtleties to shield his companions. The alarm, be believed, must have reached them by this time, and have scattered the group at the whiskey barrel; so he answered boldly,-- "The fact, sir, is jest this. We've been about half crazy for water, as you know, for the past week or two; and men'll do almost any thing for relief, under such circumstances. It got rumored around, somehow, that there was plenty of water in the vessel, and the boys went to hunting for't, and stumbled on the quartermaster's stores, and tapped a few casks, I believe, mostly sirup, but one turned out to be whiskey. Dry as we be, it's no more'n nat'ral 't we should drink a drop, under the circumstances." "Who tapped the casks?" "That's more'n I know. I didn't see it done," said Seth. "Who drank?" "I drinked a little, for one; jest enough to know 't wan't water. "And how many of you are drunk?" demanded Captain Edney. "I a'n't, for one. But I believe Manly is a little how-come ye-so. I'll say this for him, though: he had nothing to do with tapping the casks, and he didn't seem to know what it was the boys gin him. He was dry; it tasted sweet, and he drinked, nat'rally." "Who gave him the whiskey?" "I didn't notice, particularly," said Seth.