On deck they found the men had broken into the spirit-room, and
were fast getting drunk.

"My men," said the Captain, "there is no sense in this. The ship
is going down, you will tell me, in ten minutes: well, and what
then? To the philosophic eye, there is nothing new in our
position. All our lives long, we may have been about to break a
blood-vessel or to be struck by lightning, not merely in ten
minutes, but in ten seconds; and that has not prevented us from
eating dinner, no, nor from putting money in the Savings Bank. I
assure you, with my hand on my heart, I fail to comprehend your
attitude."

The men were already too far gone to pay much heed.

"This is a very painful sight, Mr. Spoker," said the Captain.

"And yet to the philosophic eye, or whatever it is," replied the
first lieutenant, "they may be said to have been getting drunk
since they came aboard."

"I do not know if you always follow my thought, Mr. Spoker,"
returned the Captain gently. "But let us proceed."

In the powder magazine they found an old salt smoking his pipe.

"Good God," cried the Captain, "what are you about?"

"Well, sir," said the old salt, apologetically, "they told me as
she were going down."