Faith's eyes were troubled. "You say the men had been drinking?"
"Yes."
"Where did they get it?"
Brander shook his head; he waited for her to speak. She said: "Let me talk to Mauger."
He sent the one-eyed man to her, and took himself away.... Mauger told his story volubly. The little man had added a cubit to his stature by his exploit; he had done heroically, and knew it, and was proud.... He told, straightforwardly, how Brander dropped down into the fo'c's'le...." Slatter had fixed it with a man to knock out the light," he explained. "I heard them whispering. I was watching.... I saw Slatter had a knife. So when he jumped for Mr. Brander, I tripped him, and he fell over me, and then Mr. Brander grabbed him...." The little man chuckled at the joke on himself. "They fit all over me, ma'am," he said, "They done a double shuffle up and down my backbone, right."
Faith smiled at him and told him he did well. "But where did the men get liquor?" she asked.
Mauger grinned and backed away. "I dunno, ma'am.... Did they have any?..."
She said steadily: "Mauger, where did the men get the liquor?"
The man squirmed, but he stood still under her eyes; he tried to avoid her.... But in the end he came nearer, looking backward and from side to side. Came nearer, and whispered at last....
"Slatter brought a jug forward after his go at the wheel, ma'am."