ould burst. The white thing came down lower and lower, and
then all of a sudden it stood in the mud and said, "Ow!"

"Who is it?" I ses. "Who are you?" "Halloa, Bill!" it ses. "Ain't it
perishing cold?"

It was the voice o' Cap'n Fogg, and if ever I wanted to kill a fellow-
creetur, I wanted to then.

"'Ave you been in long, Bill?" he ses. "About ten minutes," I ses,
grinding my teeth.

"Is it doing you good?" he ses.

I didn't answer 'im.

"I was just going off to sleep," he ses, "when I felt a sort of hot pain
in my left knee. O' course, I knew what it meant at once, and instead o'
taking some of the pellets I thought I'd try your remedy instead. It's a
bit nippy, but I don't mind that if it does me good."

He laughed a silly sort o' laugh, and then I'm blest if 'e didn't sit
down in that mud and waller in it. Then he'd get up and come for'ard two
or three steps and sit down agin.

"Ain't you sitting down, Bill?" he ses, arter a time.

"No," I ses, "I'm not."

"I don't think you can expect to get the full benefit unless you do," he
ses, coming up close to me and sitting down agin. "It's a bit of a shock
at fust, but Halloa!"

"Wot's up?" I ses.

"Sitting on something hard," he ses. "I wish people 'ud be more
careful."

He took a list to port and felt under the star-board side. Then he
brought his 'and up and tried to wipe the mud off and see wot he 'ad got.

"Wot is it?" I ses, with a nasty sinking sort o' feeling inside me.

"I don't know," he ses, going on wiping. "It's soft outside and 'ard
inside. It----"

"Let's 'ave a look at it," I ses, holding out my 'and.

"It's nothing," he ses, in a queer voice, getting up and steering for the
ladder. "Bit of oyster-shell, I think."

He was up that ladder hand over fist, with me close behind 'im, and as
soon as he 'ad got on to the wharf started to run to 'is ship.

"Good night, Bill," he ses, over 'is shoulder.

"Arf a moment." I ses, follering 'im.

"I must get aboard," he ses; "I believe I've got a chill," and afore I
could stop 'im he 'ad jumped on and run down to 'is cabin.

I stood on the jetty for a minute or two, trembling all over with cold
and temper. Then I saw he 'ad got a light in 'is cabin, and I crept
aboard and peeped down the skylight. And I just 'ad time to see some
sovereigns on the table, when he looked up and blew out the light.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Dirty Work, by W.W. Jacobs

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