thought the
bottom was comin' in.' 'Repairs,' ses I, wavin' me hand. 'Repairs.
Come down.' An' we went. 'Twas half-past one when we got down on the
dock side an' peeped under. An' when we'd done laughin' we turned in.

"Well, I went down into the dock nex' mornin', an' the Surveyor was
there with Mr. Fallon. He was a youngish man, an' probably he's learnt
a good deal since that day, but he was just the feller for us. The
Super introduced us, an' ses he, 'Mr. Honna will corroborate what I
say, Mr. Blythe.' The Surveyor turned to look at the ship's bottom,
and it was lucky he did, for me jaw was hangin'. Mr. McAlnwick, they'd
had the hydraulic jacks under her, an' they'd pushed her to kingdom
come! She was bent to the very keelson. Not a straight plate from stem
to stern. 'It's marvellous, Mr. Honna!' ses the Surveyor. 'It's
marvellous! How in the worrld did ye come home?' 'How?' ses I,
laughin'. 'On our hands and knees, to be sure, mister.' 'Dear me!' he
ses. 'Dear me!' 'Aye,' ses I. 'An' she steered to a hair, too!' And I
went for'ard to look at her bows. He was a young man, an' I felt sorry
for him, but our luck was in. Mr. Fallon came down into my room that
afternoon, as I was puttin' on me shore clothes, an' ses he, 'Honna,
did ye see yer wife?' 'I did, sir,' ses I. 'Is she all right?' ses he.
'No,' ses I; 'she's frettin'.' 'What's the matter wi' her?' he snaps,
sittin' down where you are now. 'What?' ses I, an' I stopped as I was
fixin' me collar. 'She thinks I ought to have a new hat, Mister
Fallon.' An' I looked him in the eye. 'Oh!' ses he in his sharp way.
'Get five new hats--get five new hats. Have the ship ready to be moved
to-morrow night. She will be discharged, and redocked for--extended
repairs. Good-day,' ses he, an' he went out. An' when I looked where
he'd been sittin' there was a five-poun' note in an envelope, stickin'
in the cushion."

"Did you see your wife again, Mr. Honna?"

"I did, Mr. McAlnwick, an' she pinched me black an' blue! An' when we
were walkin' through the city that evenin' I saw the Second Engineer
followin' a sealskin jacket along Paradise Street, and I felt glad he
was leavin' to go up for his ticket."

"Is that all, Mr. Honna?" The Chief Officer's face is screwed up, his
glasses are on the end of his nose (how like my old Headmaster he
looks now!), and he scrutinizes the Steward's newspaper once more.

"All, Mr. McAlnwick? Apparently not, by this. Mr. Fallon'll be down to
see