“‘Wot did you call me?’ ses Joe, looking at ’im.
“‘Nothing, mate,’ ses Tom, drawing back.
“‘You keep a quiet tongue in your ’ed,’ ses Joe, ‘and speak when you’re spoken to, my lad.’
“He was a ordinary seaman, mind, talking to A. B.’s like that. Men who’d been up aloft and doing their little bit when ’e was going about catching cold in ’is little petticuts. Still, if Bill could stand it, we supposed as we’d better.
“Bill stayed up on deck till we was under way, and ’is spirit seemed to be broke. He went about ’is work like a man wot was walking in ’is sleep, and when breakfast come ’e ’ardly tasted it.
“Joe made a splendid breakfast, and when he’d finished ’e went to Bill’s bunk and chucked the things out all over the place and said ’e was going to ’ave it for himself. And Bill sat there and took it all quiet, and by-and-by he took ’is things up and put them in Joe’s bunk without a word.
“It was the most peaceful fust day we ’ad ever ’ad down that fo’c’s’le, Bill usually being in ’is tantrums the fust day or two at sea, and wanting to know why ’e’d been born. If you talked you was noisy and worriting, and if you didn’t talk you was sulky; but this time ’e sat quite still and didn’t interfere a bit. It was such a pleasant change that we all felt a bit grateful, and at tea-time Tom Baker patted Joe on the back and said he was one o’ the right old sort.
“‘You’ve been in a scrape or two in your time, I know,’ he ses, admiring like. ’I knew you was a bit of a one with your fists direckly I see you.’
“‘Oh, ‘ow’s that?’ asks Joe.
“‘I could see by your nose,’ ses Tom.