“‘What for?’ ’e ses, shying another piece. ‘Why shouldn’t I?’
“’Cos I won’t ’ave it,’ I ses. ‘D’ye hear? Stop it!’
“I rushed at ’im as he sent another piece over, and for the next two or three minutes ’e was dodging me and chucking coke at the empties, with the fool of a skipper standing by laughing, and two or three of the crew leaning over the side and cheering ’im on.
“‘All right,’ he ses, at last, dusting ’is hands together. ‘I’ve finished. There’s no need to make such a fuss over a bit of coke.’
“‘You’ve wasted pretty near arf a ’undered-weight,’ I ses. ‘I’ve a good mind to report you.’
“‘Don’t do that, watchman!’ he ses, in a pitiful voice. ‘Don’t do that! ’Ere, I tell you wot I’ll do. I’ll pick it all up agin.’
“Afore I could move ’and or foot he ’ad shifted a couple o’ cases out of ’is way and was in among the empties. I stood there dazed-like while two bits o’ coke came flying back past my ’ed; then I ’eard a loud whistle, and ’e came out agin with ’is eyes rolling and ’is mouth wide open.
“‘Wot’s the matter?’ ses the skipper, staring at ’im.
“‘I—I—I’m sorry, watchman,’ ses that beast of a boy, purtending ’e was ’ardly able to speak. ‘I’d no idea——’
“‘All right,’ I ses, very quick.