an aching struggle to keep down the revolting and nauseous tasting stuff, and on no account to show the effort it was costing him.
“Is that the kick of the mule, or not?” said the Creasman boy, grinning and taking back his flask. “How is it?”
“Good!” the boy said hoarsely, gasping. “Fine! Best I ever tasted!” And he blinked his eyes rapidly to keep the tears from coming.
“Well, there’s lots more where that came from, boy,” said Creasman. “I’ve got two pint jars of it in my berth. Let me know when you want some more.” And putting the bottle to his lips with a smile, he tilted his head, and drank in long easy swallows which showed he was no novice to the act.
“Damn!” cried Robert, staring at him, in his familiar tone of astounded disbelief. “Do you mean to tell me you can stand there drinking that stuff straight! Phew!” he said, shuddering, and making a face. “That old pukey stuff! Why, it’d rot the guts of a brass monkey!… I don’t see how you people do it!” he cried protestingly, as he took the bottle. In three gulps he had drained it to the last drop, and even as he was looking around for a place to throw the empty flask, he shuddered convulsively again, made a contracted grimace of disgust, and said to the others accusingly, with his small falsetto laugh of astounded protest:
“Why, you’ll kill yourself drinking that stuff raw! Don’t you know that? You must be crazy!… Wait a minute,” he muttered suddenly, comically, dropping the bottle deftly into his pocket, as the swarthy, pompous little man named Wade entered, attired in blue pyjamas and a dressing-gown, and holding a tooth-brush and a tube of tooth-paste in his hand:
“Good evening, sir!… Ah-hah!… How d’ye do?” said Robert, bowing slightly and stiffly, and speaking in his grave, staccato, curiously engaging tone.
“Still up, are you, boys?” the pompous little man remarked, with his usual telling aptness.
“Ah-hah-hah!” said Robert appreciatively. “Yes, sir!… Just fixin’to go!… Come on,” he muttered to the others, jerking his head towards the little man warningly. “Not here!… Well, good night, sir!… Goin’now.”
“Good night, boys,” said the little man, who now had his back turned to them, and was standing at the silvery basin with his tooth-brush held in readiness. “See you in the morning.”
“Ah-hah-hah!” said Robert. “Yes, sir. That’s right. Goodnight.”
And frowning in a meaningful
