"Blamed if I know," said his mate.
But the other men were rigging up stages and getting them over the side, while the bo'son mixed the paint. It was blue, and Corlett stared hard at Eales.
"Well, I'm d-dashed," said Eales; "this is the queerest start!"
He watched the bo'son go up to the new hand and take him carefully by the collar.
"'Ere, you sculpin, take this pot and this brush and get down on this stage——"
"What for?" asked Brogger. "I'm—I'm——"
"Oh, no, you ain't," said the bo'son quickly,—"you ain't 'im by a long sight."
"It's blue paint," said Brogger weakly. "It's blue."
"Very blue," replied the bo'son drily. "And all that's white you'll paint blue."
He half-lifted Brogger on the rail, and watched him clamber down upon the stage. A strange, quiet ripple of laughter ran along the men at work.