ther man dropped his head and appeared to sleep. Then Darkey dozed a
little, and heard in his waking sleep the heavy, crunching tread of an
approaching park-keeper; he started up to warn his companion, but
thought better of it, and closed his eyes again.

'Now then, there,' the park-keeper shouted to the man with the sailor's
cap, 'get up! This ain't a fourpenny doss, you know. No lying down.'

A rough shake accompanied the words, and the man sat up.

'All right, my friend.'

The keeper, who was a good-humoured man, passed on without further
objurgation.

The face of the younger man had grown whiter.

'Look here, Darkey,' he said, 'I believe I'm done for.'

'Never say die.'

'No, just die without speaking.'

His head fell forward and his eyes closed.

'At any rate, this is better than some deaths I've seen,' he began again
with a strange accession of liveliness. 'Darkey, did I tell you the
story of the five Japanese girls?'

'What, in Suez Bay?' said Darkey, who had heard many sea-stories during
the last two days, and recollected them but hazily.

'No, man. This was at Nagasaki. We were taking in a cargo of coal for
Hong Kong. Hundreds of little Jap girls pass the coal from hand to hand
over the ship's side in tiny baskets that hold about a plateful. In that
way you can get three thousand tons aboard in two days.'

'Talking of platefuls reminds me of sausage and mash,' said Darkey.

'Don't interrupt. Well, five of these gay little dolls wanted to go to
Hong Kong, and they arranged with the Chinese sailors to stow away; I
believe their friends paid those cold-blooded fiends something to pass
them down food on the voyage, and give them an airing at nights. We had
a particularly lively trip, battened everything down tight, and scarcely
uncovered till we got into port. Then I and another man found those five
girls among the coal.'

'Dead, eh?'

'They'd simply torn themselves to pieces. Their bits of frock things
were in strips, and they were scratched deep from top to toe. The
Chinese had never troubled their heads about them at all, although they
must have known it meant death. You may bet there was a row. The
Japanese authorities make you search ship before sailing, now.'

'Well?'

'Well, I shan't die like that. That's all.'

He stretched himself out once more, and for ten minutes neither spoke.
The park-keeper strolled up again.

'Get up, there!' he said shortly and gruffly.

'Up ye get, mate,'