“Nothing particular,” replied Gregory, trying to stiffen the tones of his voice, which he could not help realizing were very shaky. “The Frenchmen feel good, and that makes them sing and talk loud; but they are so far from the cabin that they can’t be heard, and won’t disturb any one. Do you know whether there is any wine on board?” asked Gregory.
“I don’t think there is; but I wish there were some, for I think a little of it would wake me up,” replied Alexander.
“Wait a minute, then,” added the first officer as he stepped out of the engine-room, and went to the mess-room, where a lunch was kept on the table for the benefit of the officers and seamen of the watch. Drawing the cork of one of the bottles, and taking a tumbler from the table, he hastened back to the engine-room as fast as his shaky legs would permit, and poured out a glass of the rich Burgundy, and offered it to the chief engineer.
“What’s this?” asked Alexander, taking the glass.
“You said you wished there was some wine on board, and that a little of it would wake you up,” added Gregory. “Here it is;” and he spilled a part of it on the floor as the steamer gave a smart roll.
Alexander took the glass, though he had some serious doubts about drinking it. He had very rarely drank wine; he very rarely had a chance to drink it; but if it would wake the firemen, as the noise indicated that it did,—for he was not so stupid as not to understand what produced the unusual hilarity when Gregory came out of the fire-room, and offered him a glass of wine,—it would have the same effect on him. Still he hesitated till one of his longest gapes had nearly choked him; and then he drank off the contents of the glass.
“Now we are in for it together!” exclaimed Gregory, when the engineer had tipped off the red draught.
“What do you mean by that?” demanded Alexander, who did not exactly like the words, or the chuckle that accompanied them.
“Give us your hand, Mr. Alexander! we are friends now, if you do belong to the Tritonia,” said the malecontent, with a laugh, for the liquor was beginning to make him a little excitable.
The engineer could not well refuse his hand, and he gave it to the jolly officer of the deck. Gregory left the engine-room, and went to the mess-room. It was lighted, and he found a hiding-place for the two bottles of wine. He walked about the deck in the fresh air of the night; and he felt happy and contented for the time, and not at all inclined to foment a mutiny. When four bells were struck, and Clinch reported to him to relieve the deck, he let him into the secret, and gave him a tumbler of the Burgundy. He took another at the same time, and turned in without waiting to observe the effect upon the third officer.