For a while the seaman’s indignation was too strong for him, and he walked on several paces without saying a word, forgetful apparently of his companion and his situation, and all but his anger at the unworthy treatment to which he had been subjected. As he cooled down, however, he resumed: “Well, Mr. Hardingstone, in course we went out together, and we turned into a Tom-and-Jerry shop to have some beer, and spin a bit of a yarn about old times; and I asked him about his missus, and he remembered all the ins-and-outs of the old place, and I liked to talk to him all about it, ’specially as I shouldn’t see it again for a goodish while; and we had some grog and pipes, and was quite comfortable. After a time, a chap came in--a big chap, in a white jacket and ankle-boots--and he took no notice of us, but began braggin’ and chaffin’ about his strength, and his liftin’ weights and playin’ skittles and such like; and Blacke whispers to me, ‘Hairblower,’ says he, ‘you’re a strong chap; put this noisy fellow down a bit, and perhaps he’ll keep quiet.’ Well, he kept eggin’ of me on, and at last I makes a match, stupid like, to lift a heavier weight than the noisy one. So the landlord, he brings in half-a-dozen fifty-sixes, and I beats him all to rubbish. So he was somethin’ mad at that, and offered to play me at skittles for five pounds, or ten pounds, or twenty pounds; and I said it was foolish to risk so much money for amusement, but I’d play him for a sovereign, ’cos, ye see, my blood was up, and I wasn’t a-goin’ to knock under to such a land-lubber as this here. ‘Sovereign!’ says he, ‘I don’t believe as you’ve got a sovereign,’ and he pulls out a handful of notes and silver, and such like; and, says he, ‘Afore I stake,’ says he, ‘let me see my money covered; it’s my belief that this here’s a plant.’ ‘You ought to be ashamed of yourself,’ says Blacke, the first time he spoke to him; ‘_my_ friend’s a gen’l’man, and can show _the ready_ against all you’ve got--coin for coin, and shillin’ for shillin’.’ With that I pulls out my purse and counts my money down on the table--eleven golden sovereigns and a five-pound note. So we gets to skittles quite contented, and I puts my purse back in my jacket pocket, and gives it to Blacke to hold. Well, sir, I polished him off at skittles, too, and he paid his wager up like a man, and treated us all round, and behaved quite sociable-like; so we got drinkin’ again--him and me and Blacke--at the same table. After a time my head began to get bad--I never felt it so afore--and the mixture I was drinkin’ of--gin it was and beer--seemed to taste queerish, somehow, but I thought nothing of it, and drank on, thinking as the stuff would soon settle itself; but it didn’t though; for in a little while the room and the tables and the chairs seemed to be heavin’ and turnin’ and pitchin’, and I felt all manner of ways myself, and broke out into a cold sweat, and says