Dirty Dick screwed up his mouth as if to speak, but only stared.
“Don’t turn yourself into a figurehead of an old wreck sir. What do you want?”
“Leave to go ashore, sir.”
“Well, you’re going soon as the skipper orders.”
“I mean all alone by myself, sir.”
“What for? There aren’t a public-house for ten miles.”
“Didn’t mean that.”
“Then what did you mean? Speak out, and don’t do the double shuffle all over my clean deck.”
“No, sir.”
“Hopping about like a cat on hot bricks. Now, then, why do you want to go ashore?”