the ship. It
was the mate just coming aboard. He was without 'is 'at; 'is necktie
was twisted round 'is ear, and 'is shirt and 'is collar was all torn to
shreds. The second and third officers ran up to him to see what was the
matter, and while he was telling them, up comes the skipper.

"'You don't mean to tell me, Mr. Fingall,' ses the skipper, in surprise,
'that you've been knocked about like that by them mild and meek
Hindoos?'

"'Hindoos, sir?' roared the mate. 'Certainly not, sir. I've been
assaulted like this by five German sailor-men. And I licked 'em all.'

"'I'm glad to hear that,' ses the skipper; and the second and third pats
the mate on the back, just like you pat a dog you don't know.

"'Big fellows they was,' ses he, 'an' they give me some trouble. Look at
my eye!'

"The second officer struck a match and looked at it, and it cert'n'y was
a beauty.

"'I hope you reported this at the police station?' ses the skipper.

"'No, sir,' ses the mate, holding up 'is 'ead. 'I don't want no p'lice
to protect me. Five's a large number, but I drove 'em off, and I don't
think they'll meddle with any British fust officers again.'

"'You'd better turn in,' ses the second, leading him off by the arm.

"The mate limped off with him, and as soon as the coast was clear we put
our 'eads together and tried to make out how it was that Bill Cousins
and Bob 'ad changed themselves into five German sailor-men.

"'It's the mate's pride,' ses the carpenter. 'He didn't like being
knocked about by Hindoos.'

"We thought it was that, but we had to wait nearly another hour afore
the two came aboard, to make sure. There was a difference in the way
they came aboard, too, from that of the mate. _They_ didn't make no
noise, and the fust thing we knew of their coming aboard was seeing
a bare, black foot waving feebly at the top of the fo'c's'le ladder
feelin' for the step.

"That was Bob. He came down without a word, and then we see 'e was
holding another black foot and guiding it to where it should go. That
was Bill, an' of all the 'orrid, limp-looking blacks that you ever see,
Bill was the worst when he got below. He just sat on a locker all of a
heap and held 'is 'ead, which was swollen up, in 'is hands. Bob went
and sat beside 'im, and there they sat, for all the world like two wax
figgers instead o' human beings.

"'Well, you done it, Bill,' ses Joe, after waiting a long time for them
to speak. 'Tell us all about it.'

"'