"Let's take another round, Sam; but I reckon Tom Bulger's got more'n he
can kerry now," continued the mate.

Bird took a long draught from the bottle, and then passed it to his
guest. Three of the four revellers had already toppled over at full
length on the ground; and Christy thought he could hurry matters by
doing the same thing, and he tumbled over all in a heap. Graines drank
nothing himself, though he contrived to spill a quantity of the fluid on
the ground, so that it might not seem too light to his only remaining
wakeful companion. The last dram of Bird had been a very heavy one, and
the engineer realized that he could not hold out much longer.

"What's that tandem team fer?" asked Graines, in the thickest of tones,
while he swayed back and forth as Bird was doing by this time.

"The Trafladagar's gwine to tow the West Wind out; and both on 'em's
sure to be tooken," stammered the mate. "We uns don't bleeve in't, and
so we runned away, and left Captain Sullendine to paddle his own punt.
They get off at three in the morn in'."

Bird Riley took another drink, and then he toppled over.




CHAPTER V

IN THE VICINITY OF THE CONFEDERATE FORT