ipped-off skin of a bird with the aromatic poisonous cream he
had in a pot. Now the bristles of the brush sought out every crease and
hollow about where the flesh-denuded bones of the wings hung by their
tendons; then the bones of the legs were painted, the young man intent
upon his work--too much so to look up when the two sailors came round
from the other side of the vessel. Now the brush ran carefully along
the skin, so as not to smirch the feathers at the edge; now it was
passed along the thin stretched neck and up to the skull, which had been
left whole all but the back, where brains and eyeballs had been
carefully extracted, leaving nothing but the paper-like bone of
wondrously delicate texture and strength. Here the brush was sedulously
applied with more and more cream, which shed a pleasant odour around.

"Pyson, ain't it, sir?" said Wriggs, at last.

"Yes, my man, dangerously poisonous," said Oliver, as he worked away.

"Wouldn't do to set me that job, sir," said Smith.

"Why not? You could soon learn."

"'Cause I got a bad habit, sir."

"Lots!" said Wriggs, laconically.

"Here, don't you be so jolly fond o' running down your messmate, Bill.
'Course I've got lots a' bad habits--everybody has--don't s'pose I got
more more nor you, mate."

"Dessay not, Tommy," said Wriggs, with a chuckle.

"What I meant was as I've got a bad habit a' poppin' my fingers in my
mouth every now and then, when I'm doin' anythin', so as to get a better
hold. Some chaps spit in their hands--Billy here does, sir."

"Ay, mate, that's a true word," growled Wriggs.

"Well, that's a deal nastier than just wettin' the tips o' your fingers,
ain't it? Would it hurt me if I did, sir?"

"Most likely be very dangerous," said Oliver, as he busily tucked some
cotton wool into the cavities of the eyes, and then into the empty
skull.

"What's he doin' that for, Tommy?" whispered Wriggs.

"Stuffin' on it to keep the skin from s'rivellin', mate. Can't yer
see?"

"Yes, that's it," said Oliver, as he worked away. Then, laying the wing
bones together, so as to keep them a short distance apart, he proceeded
to bind a little of the cotton fibre round the leg bones before wiping
his fingers, carefully feeling for the bird's claws, and drawing them
out from among the soft feathers where they nestled, and restoring the
skin to its place so that it fitted well over the wool.

"Look at that, now, Billy. There y'are, regular pair o' nat