“Shove a bit o’ grease agen that there thole-pin o’ yours, Tom Tully. Your oar’ll rouse all the smugglers along the coast.”
“Ar’n’t no grease,” growled Tom.
“Then why didn’t you get a bit out of a lantern afore you come aboard?”
“’Cause nobody didn’t tell me,” growled Tom, who ceased rowing and splashed the space between the thole-pins with a few drops of water, when the noise ceased.
“Steady, my lads, steady!” said Billy Waters, giving a pull at the rudder, so as to run the boat more west towards where the cliff rose high and black against the darkening sky.
“Yer see—” began Tom Tully, and then he stopped.
“Not werry far,” said the man pulling behind him.
“Well, what do you see, old Tommy?” said Billy Waters. “Give it woice.”
“Yer see,” began Tom Tully, “I’m a chap as allus gets bullied as soon as he opens his mouth.”
“Soon as what chap opens his mouth?” said the gunner.