who was a terrible ticklish man, leaned out of 'is bunk
and said wot 'e'd do if it 'appened ag'in.

"Go to sleep," says Walter Jones; "you're dreamin'. Who d'you think
would want to tickle you?"

"I tell you," says the cook, "somebody come over and tickled me with a
'and the size of a leg o' mutton. I feel creepy all over."

Bill gave it up for that night, but the next day 'e pretended to think
Jimmy was gettin' fat an' 'e caught 'old of 'im and prodded 'im all over.
He thought 'e felt something round 'is waist, but 'e couldn't be sure,
and Jimmy made such a noise that the other chaps interfered and told Bill
to leave 'im alone. For a whole week we tried to find that money, and
couldn't, and Bill said it was a suspicious thing that Jimmy kept aft a
good deal more than 'e used to, and 'e got an idea that the boy might ha'
'idden it somewhere there. At the end of that time, 'owever, owing to
our being short-'anded, Jimmy was sent for'ard to work as ordinary
seaman, and it began to be quite noticeable the way 'e avoided Bill.

At last one day we got 'im alone down the fo'c'sle, and Bill put 'is arm
round 'im and got im on the locker and asked 'im straight out where the
money was.

"Why, I chucked it overboard," he says. "I told you so afore. What a
memory you've got, Bill!"

Bill picked 'im up and laid 'im on the locker, and we searched 'im
thoroughly. We even took 'is boots off, and then we 'ad another look in
'is bunk while 'e was putting 'em on ag'in.

"If you're innercent," says Bill, "why don't you call out?--eh?"

"Because you told me not to say anything about it, Bill," says the boy.
"But I will next time. Loud, I will."

"Look 'ere," says Bill, "you tell us where it is, and the three of us'll
go shares in it. That'll be two 'undered pounds each, and we'll tell you
'ow to get yours changed without getting caught. We're cleverer than you
are, you know."

"I know that, Bill," says the boy; "but it's no good me telling you lies.
I chucked it overboard."

"Very good, then," says Bill, getting up. "I'm going to tell the
skipper."

"Tell 'im," says Jimmy. "I don't care."

"Then you'll be searched arter you've stepped ashore," says Bill, "and
you won't be allowed on the ship ag'in. You'll lose it all by being
greedy, whereas if you go shares with us you'll 'ave two 'undered
pounds."

I could see as 'ow the boy 'adn't thought o' that, and try as 'e would 'e
couldn't 'ide 'is feelin's. He call