"And what allowance do you mean to put us on?" demanded the carpenter. "I shall be advised by you," said I. This was turning the tables. He pulled off his cap and scratched his head. "Three tots a day?" he suggested. "Very well," I said; "but you'll stop at that?" "Well, perhaps we can do on three tots a day," he answered, after deliberating. "And you engage that the steward will be protected against any violence while serving out the men's allowance?" "Mates!" he suddenly called out to the men who were standing by to sheet home the top-gallant sails; "will three tots o' grog a day keep you alive?" "Are we to have it all at once?" one of them answered. "No," I replied; "three times a day." "Now then, my lads, let's know your minds," cried the boatswain. A young ordinary seaman answered--"Three ain't enough." But one of the older hands turned upon him, exclaiming, "Why, you bit of a snuffler! where will _you_ stow all that rum? Don't go answerin' for your betters, my young scaramouch, or maybe you'll be findin' yourself brought up with a round turn. That'll do!" he called out to us. "Right you are!" replied the carpenter. "Sheet home!" I cried, as the sails fell from the top-gallant yards, anxious to clinch this matter of the grog. And so it rested. END OF VOL. I. LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS. Transcriber's Notes: Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant preference was found in the three volumes of this novel, or to remedy simple typographical errors; otherwise they were not changed. Dialect and other non-standard spellings have not been changed. Examples of unchanged spelling: "befel", "mirrowed", "dose" (for "doze"), "jobbed" (for "jabbed"), "wessel" (for "vessel") "biled" (for "boiled"). Spaces before the contraction "'ll" (for "will") have been retained. Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines have been retained. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Wreck of the Grosvenor, Volume 1 of 3, by William Clark Russell