A ship with a full cargo of rum runs aground near Skebawn, and the locals engage in drunken revelry as the barrels wash ashore. Of course, the subsequent police search reveals practically no sighs of rum.
The Major tries to forget the frustrating rum incident with a snipe hunt and an ill-trained dog. When the afternoon is cut short, he is left to deal with the mystery of the missing rum, an expired clergyman, and his wife, who is frightened by a noise sounding like snoring.