"Hogwash," said Gribbs, with his mouth full. "Ain't it, Tidewell?"
Tidewell, who was a youngster of a good middle-class family, who had gone to sea as an apprentice and run from his ship, agreed with many bitter words.
"As I told you, we lives like fightin'-cocks 'ere," said Bagge. "When you're full in the back teeth, we'll 'ave your mates up. We likes to feed the pore and 'ungry, don't we, doctor?"
The cook, to whom Bagge had confided something, said he did his best, his humble best.
"The Star's an 'appy ship," he added. "We know what your ship is."
The other two men came up in their turn and were filled with tea and biscuit and butter and marmalade till they smiled.
"This is like home," said Wat Crampe, who was from Newcastle.
"It wass petter—much petter," said Evan Evans, "and ass for the captain's wife, she iss a lady, whatefer."
That evening Ryder and his wife returned the call and were rowed to the Battle-Axe by Bagge, Bob Condy, and two more of the men. Bagge and Condy went into the fo'c's'le. They lost no time in condemning the Battle-Axe and in lauding their own ship.
"This 'ere's a stinkin' 'ooker, mates," said Silas Bagge; "why, our fo'c's'le is a lady's droring-room compared with it. And as for the grub, ask them as come on board us this afternoon. What d'ye say, Gribbs?"