he would have done it in order to
conceal how small, rather than how large, a dram he took. He only
covered the bottom of the tumbler, and then deluged the liquor with
water. Captain Chinks was a cunning man, and he knew that brandy unfits
a man for business, impairs his judgment, and blunts his perception. He
took a small dram.

"Here's to you," said Ezekiel.

"Thank you; my respects," added Captain Chinks.

The toper drained his glass. The liquor was strong, and the tears
drowned his eyes as he swallowed the fiery fluid.

"That's good brandy!" exclaimed he, as soon as he could speak.

"First chop," replied Captain Chinks. "You couldn't buy that brandy in
Portland for three dollars a bottle. In my opinion that article never
paid tribute to Uncle Sam."

"'Tain't no wus for that," said Ezekiel, with a cheerful grin.

"That's so."

"'Tain't right to charge no duties on liquors. That's the reason we git
so much pizen stuff. You can hardly git a drop of good brandy for
sickness now, without you pay four or five dollars a bottle for it; and
I can't afford to pay no such prices," added Ezekiel, deeply moved at
this terrible grievance.

"Well, I reckon there's more of it comes in from the provinces without
paying any duties than most people think, though I don't _know_ anything
about it myself."

Even Ezekiel Taylor had his doubts on this point, though he was not
disposed, under the present agreeable circumstances, to indulge in any
controversy on the point.

[Illustration]

"The more they bring in, the better," said he, encouragingly.

"By the way, Zeke, that boy of yours is in luck to-day," continued
Captain Chinks, toying with his glass.

"He ain't no boy o' mine," said the toper, with no little indignation in
his tones. "He's my wife's boy."

"Well, it's all the same. He's a smart boy."

"He's smart enough; but he ain't the right sort of a boy. He's rather
too smart."

"That was a bad scrape he got into about that letter; but I can't
believe he opened it, and took the money out," added Captain Chinks,
still toying with the glass, and apparently without the least interest
in the conversation in which he was engaged.

"He ain't none too good to do sech a thing," muttered Ezekiel, as he
recalled the wickedness of the boy in destroying "his property."

"I thought he was a nice boy, went to Sunday school, and belonged to the
Band of Hope," continued the captain, who, however, judging from his
manner,