This officer was in uniform and stopped to eye Kep for a moment.
"Hillo! young fellow, who are you, and what are you doing here?"
"Just having a look around, sir."
"Cool. You don't belong to the service?"
"No, sir. That is not yet."
The officer laughed.
"Here is sixpence for you," he said. "I rather like a cheeky boy. Yonder is a gate, they'll let you out and they shouldn't have let you in. Go and buy buns."
Poor Kep reddened to the roots of the hair. He took the coin, though it seemed to burn his fingers and marched on towards the gate.
A bo's'n'smate accosted him next. "What ho! younk, whither away? What's your tally?"
"I'm only just a little boy going to buy buns," said Kep, and they parted.