Nasty eye it, was, too, when he 'appened to be out o'
temper.
"I'd often took a bit o' notice o' the gal; just giving 'er a kind smile
now and then as she sat on deck, and sometimes--when 'er father wasn't
looking--she'd smile back. Once, when 'e was down below, she laughed
right out. She was afraid of 'im, and by and by I noticed that she
daren't even get off the ship and walk up and down the wharf without
asking 'im. When she went out 'e was with 'er, and, from one or two
nasty little snacks I 'appened to overhear when the skipper thought I
was too far away, I began to see that something was up.
"It all came out one evening, and it only came out because the skipper
wanted my help. I was standing leaning on my broom to get my breath
back arter a bit o' sweeping, when he came up to me, and I knew at once,
by the nice way 'e spoke, that he wanted me to do something for 'im.
"'Come and 'ave a pint, Bill,' he ses.
"I put my broom agin the wall, and we walked round to the Bull's Head
like a couple o' brothers. We 'ad two pints apiece, and then he put his
'and on my shoulder and talked as man to man.
"'I'm in a little bit o' difficulty about that gal o' mine,' he ses,
passing me his baccy-box.
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