xcitement.

"Lor! sir, there's summink wrong, any'ow; I've discovered that much!" he
broke out enthusiastically. "Chummed up with ole Black Whiskers I did,
and promised 'im a 'and ternight at twelve o'clock ter do some loadin'
on ter the fishin' boats wot's on their way ter Belgium. 'You're a
nice-seemin' sort er lad,' he tole me after we'd bin chattin' fer ten
minutes or so. 'Want ter make a bit of extra money by 'oldin' of your
tongue?' I was on it like a knife. 'Ra-_ther!_' I ses. 'Orl right,' ses
'e. 'Come along ter the quayside ternight at twelve o'clock. There's
a bit uf loadin' up ter be done, an' only a few uv the men are required.
I don't choose none wot I don't cotton to.' 'You'll cotton ter me all
right, matey,' I ses, with a sort uv a larf that seemed ter tickle 'im.
'I'm as close as the devil 'imself. Anythink yer doesn't want me ter see,
just tip me the wink.' 'I will that,' ses 'e, and then went off. An' so
'ere I am, sir, fixed up for a busy evenin' along uv ole Black Whiskers.
An' if I don't learn summink this night, well, my name ain't Dollops!"

"Good lad!" said Cleek, giving the boy's arm a squeeze. "That's the way
to do it! And is that all you've got to tell me? I've done a bit myself,
and chummed up with a chap called Jenkins, the tall, thin man who works
on the left of me, and he's let me into the secret of the fishing boat
business. But he's a close-mouthed devil. Either doesn't know anything,
or won't tell. I'm not quite sure which. But he wasted a good deal of
valuable breath endeavouring to teach me to keep my mouth shut. Gad! I'd
give something to have a few moments alone with your friend Black
Whiskers! There's a ripped pillow-case in my portmanteau which ought
to interest him. And what else did you learn, Dollops?"

"Only that what they ships is electric tubin's ter perfect flexible
electric wirin's wot is used for installations, sir," returned Dollops.
"That's what most of the things were wot I set eyes on after
workin'-hours, stacked up all ready ter be loaded on ter the boats. Long,
thin things they were, an' ought ter be easy work, judgin' from their
contents. But why they make all this mystery about it fair beats _me_!"

"And me into the bargain, Dollops," interposed Cleek, with a little sigh.
"But there's an old saying, that there's no smoke without fire, and
ordinary people don't make such a devilish fuss about others knowing
their business if they're on the straight. What all this