“We’d got one terror on board afore he come, and that was Bill Bone, one o’ the biggest and strongest men I’ve ever seen down a ship’s fo’c’s’le, and that’s saying a good deal. Built more like a bull than a man, ’e was, and when he was in his tantrums the best thing to do was to get out of ’is way or else get into your bunk and keep quiet. Oppersition used to send ’im crazy a’most, an’ if ’e said a red shirt was a blue one, you ’ad to keep quiet. It didn’t do to agree with ’im and call it blue even, cos if you did he’d call you a liar and punch you for telling lies. “He was the only drawback to that ship. We ’ad a nice old man, good mates, and good grub. You may know it was A1 when I tell you that most of us ’ad been in ’er for several v’y’ges. “But Bill was a drawback, and no mistake. In the main he was a ’earty, good-tempered sort o’ shipmate as you’d wish to see, only, as I said afore, oppersition was a thing he could not and would not stand. It used to fly to his ’ed direckly. “The v’y’ge I’m speaking of—we used to trade between Australia and London—Bill came aboard about an hour afore the ship sailed. The rest of us was already aboard and down below, some of us stowing our things away and the rest sitting down and telling each other lies about wot we’d been doing. Bill came lurching down the ladder, and Tom Baker put ’is ’and to ’im to steady ’im as he got to the bottom. “‘Who are you putting your ’ands on?’ ses Bill, glaring at ’im. “‘Only ’olding you up, Bill,’ ses Tom, smiling. “‘Oh,’ ses Bill. “He put ’is back up agin a bunk and pulled hisself together. “‘’Olding of me—up—was you?’ he ses; ‘whaffor, if I might be so bold as to arsk?’ “‘I thought your foot ’ad slipped, Bill, old man,’ ses Tom; ‘but I’m sorry if it ’adn’t.’ “Bill looks at ’im agin, ’ard. “‘Sorry if my foot didn’t slip?’ he ses. “‘You know wot I mean, Bill,’ ses Tom, smiling a uneasy smile. “‘Don’t laugh at me,’ roars Bill. “‘I wasn’t laughing, Bill, old pal,’ ses Tom. “‘’E’s called me a liar,’ ses Bill, looking round at us; ‘called me a liar. ’Old my coat, Charlie, and I’ll split ’im in halves.’ “Charlie took the coat like a lamb, though he was Tom’s pal, and Tom looked round to see whether he couldn’t nip up the ladder and get away, but Bill was just in front of it. Then Tom found out that one of ’is bootlaces was undone and he knelt down to do it up, and this young ordinary seaman, Joe Simms by name, put his ’ead out of his bunk and he ses, quiet-like: “‘You ain’t afraid of that thing, mate, are you?’ “‘_Wot_?’ screams Bill, starting. “‘Don’t make such a noise when I’m speaking,’ ses Joe; ‘where’s your manners, you great ’ulking rascal?’ “I thought Bill would ha’ dropped with surprise at being spoke to like that. His face was purple all over and ’e stood staring at Joe as though ’e didn’t know wot to make of ’im. And we stared too, Joe being a smallish sort o’ chap and not looking at all strong.