"That!" he said. He peered at him, walked a little way toward him where he stood aloof, whirled on his heel, and coming back to the group, raised a fist as if to smite and announced: "He's one of them fellers that goes up on the Ontario farms, up in the bush—half silly, farmers get them for their board; learn to milk cows, shovel horse dung, and all that."
"Yus," said Cockney. "That's wot 'e is."
Mike's expression was like that of a man disgusted. Had he not already told them this? Candlass put an end, for the time being, to farther speculation.
"Get on to the main deck, you fellows," he ordered, "and you'll see some bales of hay there. Cut them open and bed down."
The "Push" began to swarm up one of the gangways, the one nearer to them, that led to the lower deck. Mike looked at it; its condition showed that lower deck cattle were already on board.
"Indade," he said, "there's no sense in dirtying your shoes before ye nade to," and he led the way to the second gangway, which was canted up to the main deck, and was clean. The ascent was not much steeper, for the gangway was longer and led off from farther back on the wharf.
"Oh, all right," said Candlass, as he saw his men going up in two portions. "It's all the same." But he called after those who were going up to the lower deck: "Don't you fellows hang about down there when you get aboard."
They nodded, and some responded with an "Aye, aye, sir," and up they ran, talking and laughing among themselves in jeering fashion. Candlass stood on the dock and waited till they were on board, so that those that turned their heads, when they stepped on deck, to look down, met his eye. The "Push" gathered on the main deck. Those who had gone direct to it, looking down the hatches, could see, what those who had come up the other way already knew, that the lower deck cattle were already all on board. The full complement was already there; and beyond the docks were now the cling-clang of an advancing bell, a locomotive bell, and more lowing of cattle. Amidships many bales of hay had been tumbled.
"Now we want an axe," said Mike.
"There's a queer fellow below with an axe," volunteered one of those who had come up by the lower deck. "Here he comes."