he beer he turned to the landlord and ordered me six o' rum 'ot at once.

"Drink that up," he ses, 'anding it to me; "but fust of all give me the
box, so as I can pay for it."

I put my 'and in my pocket. Then I put it in the other one, and arter
that I stood staring at George Tebb and shaking all over.

"Wot's the matter? Wot are you looking like that for?" he ses.

"It must ha' been them two," I ses, choking. "While they was purtending
to dry me and patting me all over they must 'ave taken it out of my
pocket."

"Wot are you talking about?" ses George, staring at me.

"The box 'as gorn," I ses, putting down the 'ot rum and feeling in my
trouser-pocket. "The box 'as gorn, and them two must 'ave taken it."

"Gorn!" ses George. "Gorn! My box with twenty-five pounds in, wot I
trusted you with, gorn? Wot are you talking about? It can't be--it's
too crool!"

He made such a noise that the landlord wot was waiting for 'is money,
asked 'im wot he meant by it, and, arter he 'ad explained, I'm blest if
the landlord didn't advise him to search me. I stood still and let
George go through my pockets, and then I told 'im I 'ad done with 'im and
I never wanted to see 'im agin as long as I lived.

"I dare say," ses George, "I dare say. But you'll come along with me to
the wharf and see the skipper. I'm not going to lose five-and-twenty
quid through your carelessness."

I marched along in front of 'im with my 'ead in the air, and when he
spoke to me I didn't answer him. He went aboard the ship when we got to
the wharf, and a minute or two arterwards 'e came to the side and said
the skipper wanted to see me.

The airs the skipper gave 'imself was sickening. He sat down there in
'is miserable little rat-'ole of a cabin and acted as if 'e was a judge
and I was a prisoner. Most of the 'ands 'ad squeezed in there too, and
the things they advised George to do to me was remarkable.

"Silence!" ses the skipper. "Now, watchman, tell me exactly 'ow this
thing 'appened."

"I've told you once," I ses.

"I know," ses the skipper, "but I want you to tell me again to see if you
contradict yourself. I can't understand 'ow such a clever man as you
could be done so easy."

I thought I should ha' bust, but I kept my face wonderful. I just asked
'im wot the men was like that got off with 'is watch and chain and two
pounds, in case they might be the same.

"That's different," he ses.

"Oh!" ses I. "'Ow?"

"I lost m