“‘Oh,’ ses Bill, looking ’ard at a boat wot was passing.
“‘We’ve got Dodgy Pete coming to see us tonight,’ ses Tom, in a whisper; ‘there’ll only be the second officer aboard, and he’ll likely be asleep. Dodgy’s one o’ the best light-weights in Australia, and if ’e don’t fix up Mister Joe, it’ll be a pity.’
“‘You’re a fair treat, Tom,’ ses Bill, turning round; ‘that’s what you are. A fair treat.’
“‘I thought you’d be pleased, Bill,’ ses Tom.
“Pleased ain’t no name for it, Tom,’ answers Bill. ‘You’ve took a load off my mind.’
“The fo’c’s’le was pretty full that evening, everybody giving each other a little grin on the quiet, and looking over to where Joe was sitting in ’is bunk putting a button or two on his coat. At about ha’-past six Dodgy comes aboard, and the fun begins to commence.
“He was a nasty, low-looking little chap, was Dodgy, very fly-looking and very conceited. I didn’t like the look of ’im at all, and unbearable as Joe was, it didn’t seem to be quite the sort o’ thing to get a chap aboard to ’ammer a shipmate you couldn’t ’ammer yourself.
“‘Nasty stuffy place you’ve got down ’ere,’ ses Dodgy, who was smoking a big cigar; ‘I can’t think ‘ow you can stick it.’
“‘It ain’t bad for a fo’c’s’le,’ ses Charlie.
“‘An’ what’s that in that bunk over there?’ ses Dodgy, pointing with ’is cigar at Joe.