"It's no good, I tell you," ses the carpenter, "it's the most lasting black I know. If I told you how much that stuff is a can, you wouldn't believe me."
"Well, you're in it," ses Bill, his voice all of a tremble; "you done it so as we could knock the mate about. Whatever's done to us'll be done to you too."
"I don't think turps 'll touch it," ses the carpenter, getting up, "but we'll 'ave a try."
"HE BURIED HIS FACE IN IT."
He went and fetched the can and poured some out on a bit o' rag and told Bill to dab his face with it. Bill give a dab, and the next moment he rushed over with a scream and buried his head in a shirt what Simmons was wearing at the time and began to wipe his face with it. Then he left the flustered Simmons an' shoved another chap away from the bucket and buried his face in it and kicked and carried on like a madman. Then 'e jumped into his bunk again and buried 'is face in the clothes and rocked hisself and moaned as if he was dying.
"Don't you use it, Bob," he ses, at last.
"'Tain't likely," ses Bob. "It's a good thing you tried it fust, Bill."
"'Ave they tried holy-stone?" ses a voice from a bunk.