Say, guy! Who are you? No, never mind lying. What are you? Yes, tell us your sad story. What's your game? What did they jug yuh for? YANK--[_Dully._] I was a fireman--stokin' on de liners. [_Then with sudden rage, rattling his cell bars._] I'm a hairy ape, get me? And I'll bust youse all in de jaw if yuh don't lay off kiddin' me. VOICES--Huh! You're a hard boiled duck ain't you! When you spit, it bounces! [_Laughter._] Aw, can it. He's a regular guy. Ain't you? What did he say he was--a ape? YANK--[_Defiantly._] Sure ting! Ain't dat what youse all are--apes? [_A silence. Then a furious rattling of bars from down the corridor._] A VOICE--[_Thick with rage._] I'll show yuh who's a ape, yuh bum! VOICES--Ssshh! Nix! Can de noise! Piano! You'll have the guard down on us! YANK--[_Scornfully._] De guard? Yuh mean de keeper, don't yuh? [_Angry exclamations from all the cells._] VOICE--[_Placatingly._] Aw, don't pay no attention to him. He's off his nut from the beatin'-up he got. Say, you guy! We're waitin' to hear what they landed you for--or ain't yuh tellin'? YANK--Sure, I'll tell youse. Sure! Why de hell not? On'y--youse won't get me. Nobody gets me but me, see? I started to tell de Judge and all he says was: "Toity days to tink it over." Tink it over! Christ, dat's all I been doin' for weeks! [_After a pause._] I was tryin' to git even wit someone, see?--someone dat done me doit. VOICES--[_Cynically._] De old stuff, I bet. Your goil, huh? Give yuh the double-cross, huh? That's them every time! Did yuh beat up de odder guy? YANK--[_Disgustedly_] Aw, yuh're all wrong! Sure dere was a skoit in it--but not what youse mean, not dat old tripe. Dis was a new kind of skoit. She was dolled up all in white--in de stokehole. I tought she was a ghost. Sure. [_A pause._] VOICES--[_Whispering._] Gee, he's still nutty. Let him rave. It's fun listenin'. YANK--[_Unheeding--groping in his thoughts._] Her hands--dey was skinny and white like dey wasn't real but painted on somep'n. Dere was a million miles from me to her--twenty-five knots a hour. She was like some dead ting de cat brung in. Sure, dat's what. She didn't belong. She belonged in de window of a toy store, or on de top of a garbage can, see! Sure! [_He breaks out angrily._] But would yuh believe it, she had de noive to do me doit. She lamped me like she was seein' somep'n broke loose from de menagerie. Christ, yuh'd oughter seen her eyes! [_He rattles the bars of his cell furiously._] But I'll get back at her yet, you watch! And if I can't find her I'll take it out on de gang she runs wit. I'm wise to where dey hangs out now. I'll show her who belongs! I'll show her who's in de move and who ain't. You watch my smoke! VOICES--[_Serious and joking._] Dat's de talkin'! Take her for all she's got! What was this dame, anyway? Who was she, eh? YANK--I dunno. First cabin stiff. Her old man's a millionaire, dey says--name of Douglas.