re! Coil down and put away the
tackle!" Again the gathering at the fore-hatch. Hicks picked up his
work and resumed the twisting of the yarns.

A great knocking out and refilling of pipes.

"'Bout that 'ere Dutchman, Granger? 'Im wot ye wos shipmates with."

Granger glanced covertly at the bo'sun. There was no sign of further
hostilities; he was working the yarns with a great show of industry,
and was whistling dolefully the while.

"Well, 'e worn't a proper Dutchman, neither," he began pleasantly; "'im
bein' married on a white woman in Cardiff, wot 'ad a shop in Bute Road.
See? Th' Ole Man o' th' _Ruddymanthus_, 'e wos a terror on
sailorizin'----" Granger paused.

Again a squint at the bo'sun. There was no sign, save that the
whistling had ceased, and the lips had taken a scornful turn. "'E wos
a terror on sailorizin', an' w'en we left Sydney f'r London, 'e said as
'ow 'e'd give two pun' fer th' best pair o' shackles wot 'is men could
make. There worn't many o' us as wor 'ands at shackles, an' there wor
only th' Dutchman an' a white man in it--a Cockney 'e wos, name o'
Linnet----"

The bo'sun was staring steadily at the speaker, who added hastily, "'an
a damn good feller 'e wos, too, one o' th' best I ever wos shipmates
with; 'e wos a prime sailorman--there worn't many as could teach 'im
anythin'----"

Bo'sun had resumed work, and was again whistling.

"It lay a-tween 'im an' this 'ere Dutchman. All the w'yage they wos at
it. They wos in diff'rent watches, an' th' other fellers wos allus
a-settin' 'em up. It would be, ''Ere, Dutchy, you min' yer eye.
Linnet, 'e's got a new turn o' threads jes' below th' rose knots'; or,
'Look-a-here, Linnet, me son, that Dutchman's puttin' in glossy beads,
an' 'e's waxin' 'is ends wi' stuff wot th' stooard giv' 'im.' The
watches wos takin' sides. 'Linnet's th' man,' says th' Mate's watch.
'Dutchy, he's th' fine 'and at sailorizin',' says th' starbowlines.
Worn't takin' no sides meself"--a side glance at the bo'sun--"me bein'
'andy man along o' th' carpenter, an' workin' all day."

The bo'sun put away his unfinished work, and, lighting his pipe--a sign
of satisfaction--drew nearer to the group.

"Off th' Western Islands they finished their jobs," continued Granger
(confidently, now that the bo'sun had lit a pipe and was listening as a
shipmate ought). "They painted 'em, an' 'ung 'em up t' dry. Fine they
looked, dark green, an' th' rose knots all w'ite. Dutc