The man squirmed, but he stood still under her eyes; he tried to avoid
her.... But in the end he came nearer, looking backward and from side to
side. Came nearer, and whispered at last....
"Slatter brought a jug forward after his go at the wheel, ma'am."
"Slatter?" Faith echoed softly.... "Slatter.... All right, Mauger.
And--don't talk too much, forward...."
The man escaped eagerly. He had been willing enough to talk about
Slatter's knife and his own good deed; but this other was another
matter. Whiskey in the fo'c's'le....
This was in the early morning, before the whole story had spread to
every man. Faith went quickly below, and asked his keys from Noll, and
went into the storeroom. Found nothing there to guide her.... But while
she was there, Tinch, the cook, came down to get coffee.... She studied
the man thoughtfully....
"Tinch," she said, finger pressing her cheek, "I left a jug down
here.... It's gone. Have you seen it anywhere?"
Tinch, a tall, lean man with a bald head, looked at her stupidly, and
ran a thin finger through his straggly locks and thought. "Waal, now,
ma'am," he said at last, "I rec'lect I see Roy fetch a jug up out o'
here, yist'day."
"Roy?" she asked. "What was he down here for?"
"Come down to...." He looked at her, and was suddenly confused with fear
he had played Judas. "Waal, now, ma'am," he drawled, "I cal'late you'd
best ask the boy that there."