“He was the only drawback to that ship. We ’ad a nice old man, good mates, and good grub. You may know it was A1 when I tell you that most of us ’ad been in ’er for several v’y’ges.
“But Bill was a drawback, and no mistake. In the main he was a ’earty, good-tempered sort o’ shipmate as you’d wish to see, only, as I said afore, oppersition was a thing he could not and would not stand. It used to fly to his ’ed direckly.
“The v’y’ge I’m speaking of—we used to trade between Australia and London—Bill came aboard about an hour afore the ship sailed. The rest of us was already aboard and down below, some of us stowing our things away and the rest sitting down and telling each other lies about wot we’d been doing. Bill came lurching down the ladder, and Tom Baker put ’is ’and to ’im to steady ’im as he got to the bottom.
“‘Who are you putting your ’ands on?’ ses Bill, glaring at ’im.
“‘Only ’olding you up, Bill,’ ses Tom, smiling.
“‘Oh,’ ses Bill.
“He put ’is back up agin a bunk and pulled his-self together.
“‘’Olding of me—up—was you?’ he ses; ‘whaffor, if I might be so bold as to arsk?’
“‘I thought your foot ’ad slipped, Bill, old man,’ ses Tom; ‘but I’m sorry if it ’adn’t.’
“Bill looks at ’im agin, ’ard.