ey come smirking and smiling with
_'Guten Abis.'_ But when they say _'Das gloobis,'_ look out for
yourself, for then they are most deceitful."

"Just let them try me. I know how to manage them," said Worse,
boastingly. "Old Bencke in Dantzic learnt the truth of that. At first
they cheated me in herrings, as they always do."

"Always," said Randulf, assentingly.

"In rye, too."

"Don't talk about it."

"But at last they introduced some new devilry into the bills of
lading."

"What was that?"

"How in the world could I tell! I saw it was something new and out of
the regular course, and so I would not sign it."

"No, of course not."

"The clerk, who was some sort of a Dane, stood ready with the pen,
and tried to persuade me that it meant nothing, that it was for the
benefit of the ship, and so on; all of which one could see was a lie.

"So it ended by my swearing that I would only have the bills of
lading to which I was accustomed, and that rather than sign, the brig
and the rye should remain in Dantzic Roads until they both rotted."

"Of course," said Randulf.

"But whilst we stood and disputed about this, old Bencke himself came
out into the office, and the Dane explained the case to him. The old
man became dreadfully angry, you may guess, and began to scold and
curse in German. I, too, got angry, and so I turned round and said to
him, in German, you understand--I spoke just like this to him: _'Bin
Bencke bos, bin Worse also bos.'_ When he saw that I knew German, he
did not say another word, but merely, turning round on his heel,
bundled out of the room. Some one got another bill of lading, and
that person was me."

"That was clever, Jacob," cried Randulf. It was a long time since he
had heard that story.

They drank a tumbler in memory of old times, and for a while
meditated in silence.

They were both very red in the face, and Worse looked quite fresh and
well. The sallowness of his complexion was gone, but the short locks
of hair about his ears were as white as froth.

At last Jacob Worse said:

"When I look at such a table as that by the sofa, I cannot understand
how it could be broken. You remember that night in Konigsberg?"

"Yes; but you see, Jacob, we danced right against the table at full
swing."

"Yes, you are right; it was at full swing," said Worse, smiling.

"But, good Heavens! how we ran away afterwards!" said Randulf,
shaking with laughter.

"And how pitch dark it was before w