was a
tall, thin, humorous fellow who reminded me irresistibly of a brilliant
poet and miscellanist of the modern school. I thought of that dazzling
smile, that aesthetic face transferred to the surroundings of Chelsea,
and what a success, if looks meant anything, he ought to be! So strongly
did I feel that in his hours of leisure and coallessness he was a
critic of verse and _moeurs_ that I almost asked him his name.

My co-tallyman was pleasantly disposed. He asked me if I would give
him one of several casks standing near the galley. I referred him to
Phillips, who referred him to Meacock, who referred him elsewhere. We
disagreed now and then over the tally, but I was able to hold my own.
The _lex talionis_ was in force. Sometimes I was induced to accept his
surplus over my figure as accurate, but then I would take him back at
another opportunity, and ignore his doleful "Make it _threeee_." My
imagination lagged behind his, which seemed to see occasional slings
put aboard by aerial hands, and aerial coal at that, and these went
down in his book. But altogether we "made it." Mutual mistrust served
the public good.

The chief lent me a boiler suit, for which I was insufficient, and added
an old macintosh presently. I soon grew black; even the tallyman, though
he seemed to have some natural gift in his stubbled skin which repelled
the grime, grew black. Presently I was disguised in the order of things
as a film thug, with waterlogged cap sagging over eyes heavily inlaid in
blackness. Tired as the labourers must have been, they went on working
as if they liked it, grinning, singing, enjoying comments upon each other,
and refreshing themselves with cheroots, cigarettes, peaches, or sups
from cans containing a brown decoction like strong tea. They ceased at
four.

It was by way of variation in the evening that Bicker and Mead fell upon
me, with the idea of shampooing the begrimed tallyman. Zambuk (Hosea's
trusted salve), lime cream, and talcum powder were employed. There was
a struggle, however, which disturbed Meacock opposite. He came to the
rescue, but leaping upon the two barbers, who were holding me down, he
forgot that I was underneath. "Rough house," the word went round.

When the stevedore's men arrived the following day, they were almost to
a man rigged out in the cleanest of suits, or costumes rather. This
was, to the best of my information, not the habit with the British
trimmer. Their hats were pleasing to