THE TYPHOON. 163

ceremoniously beckoned the young captain to enter, and
then closed the door immediately, as if afraid of being
seen by some one of the crew.

“What's the matter, uncle. Haven't been finding
any more ghosts around the brig, have you?”

“It wasn’ dat, sah, it wasn’ dat. JI done sen’ fur to
arsk youse to cum hyar, kase I don’ hol’ to it de mates
oughter know what I’se gwine fo’ to tell you.”

«Well, cut it short, uncle, let’s hear the trouble at
once.”

“Tt am de water, sah.”

“The water!” Ben cried, now beginning to grow
alarmed. ‘“ What’s the trouble with that?”

“Dare ain’ ’nough ob it ter trubble much ’bout, sah.
Dem gallons wha’ didn’t git busted in de cask hab done
gone leaked away till dere ain’ more’n hun’red an’ fifty lef’.”

«What ?” and Ben’s face grew pale.

“Tt am de solum trufe, sah, I’se jes bin habin’ er
vestigation ob it mysef, sah, dis yere mawnin. Fust off
I was gwine to cum straight to you, sah, an’ den it popped
inter my min’ dat ef de crew shoul’ see de captin foolin’
wid de casks, dey mought get skeery like.”

«You are right, uncle. Not one of them must know
anything about it. There’d be the very mischief to pay
if they thought there was danger of going on short allow-
ance.”

“But dey knows it now, sah, leastways, two ob ’em does.
Dey was foolin’ ’roun’ an’ dat’s what set me to sperimentin’.”

“Fooling around! Who were?” Ben asked.