y. Better stop and have a rubber."

"If you dance with any of their women, you get her particular fancy-man
on to you, don't you?" asked Gordon. "It's years since I was at that
sort of place myself."

The Bo'sun, who knew nothing about it, assumed the Sir Oracle at once.

"I don't suppose their women would dance with you if you paid 'em five
shillings a step," he said. "There'd certainly be a fight if they did.
Are you fond of fighting, Carew?"

"Not a bit," replied that worthy. "Never fight if you can help it. No
chap with any sense ever does."

"That's like me," said Gordon. "I'd sooner run a mile than fight,
any time. I'm like a rat if I'm cornered, but it takes a man with a
stockwhip to corner me. I never start fighting till I'm done running.
But we needn't get into a row. I vote we go. Will you come, Carew?"

"Oh, yes; I'd like to," said the Englishman. "I don't suppose we need
get into a fight."

So, after many jeers from the Bo'sun, and promises to come back and
tell him all about it, Carew and Gordon sallied forth, a pair of men as
capable of looking after themselves as one would meet in a day's march.
Stepping into the street they called a cab.

"Where to, sir?" asked the cabman.

"Nearest dancing saloon," said Gordon, briefly.

"Nearest darncin' saloon," said the cabman. "There ain't no parties
to-night, sir; it's too 'ot."

"We're not expecting to drop into a ballroom without being asked, thank
you," said Gordon. "We want to go to one of those saloons where you pay
a shilling to go in. Some place where the larrikins go."

"Ho! is that it, sir?" said the cabman, with a grin. "Well, I'll take
you to a noo place, most selectest place I know. Git up, 'orse." And
off they rattled through the quiet streets, turning corners and crossing
tramlines every fifty yards apparently, and bumping against each other
in the most fraternal manner.

Soon the cab pulled up in a narrow, ill-lit street, at the open door of
a dingy house. Instructing the cabman to wait, they hustled upstairs,
to be confronted at the top by a man who took a shilling from each, and
then was not sure whether he would admit them. He didn't seem to like
their form exactly, and muttered something to a by-stander as they went
in. They saw a long, low room, brilliantly lighted by flaring gas jets.
Down one side, on wooden forms, was seated a row of flashily-dressed
girls--larrikin-esses on their native heath, barmaids from cheap,
disreputabl