"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.