see a plucky little bull set to gore
an' rip up a lot o' poor blinded horses, with a lot o' cowardly beggars
eggin' it on, an' stickin' darts all over it, an' the place reekin' wi'
blood, an' the people cheerin' like mad--why--it--it made me a'most
sea-sick, which I never was in my life yet. Bah! Pass the bottle,
Jim."

"You're right, Bill," assented Jim, passing the bottle, "an' it made
poor young Ansty sick altogether. Leastwise, I saw his good-lookin'
face turn a'most green as he got up in a hurry like an' left the place,
for you know, big an' well made as he is, an' able to hold his own wi'
the best, Dick Ansty has the heart of a woman for tenderness. His only
fault is that he's a tee-totaller."

"Ay, a g-great fault that," said Bill, pouring out and spilling most of
another glass. "I wouldn't give much for him."

"You couldn't help likin' him, though, if you'd sailed with him as I've
done," returned Jim. "He's a reg'lar brick, though he don't smoke
neither."

"Don't smoke?" exclaimed Bill, aghast. "Then he ain't fit for _this_
world! Why, what does he think 'baccy was made for?"

"I dun know as to that, Bill, but I do know that he's goin' to leave us.
You see, he's only a sort of half-hand--worked his passage out, you
know, an' well he did it too, though he is only a land-lubber, bein' a
Cornishman, who's bin lookin' arter mines o' some sort ever since he was
a boy. He says he's in great luck, havin' fallen in wi' a party as is
just agoin' to start for the west under a feller they call Conrad o' the
Mountains."

Lawrence and Pedro, who had been trying to ignore the presence of the
sailors, and to converse in spite of their noise, became suddenly
interested at this point, and the former glanced inquiringly at the
latter.

"Listen," said Pedro, in a low voice, and with a nod of intelligence.

"It's a queer story," continued Jim. "I heard all about it this very
mornin' from himself. He'd bin givin' some on us a lot o' good advice.
You see, he's a sort of edicated chap, an' got a tremendjous gift o' the
gab, but none of us could take offence at 'im, for he's such a quiet,
modest feller--although he _is_ big! Well, you must know that--that--
what was I sayin'?"

"P-pash th' bottle," said Bill.

"No, that's not what I was--Oh yes, I was goin' to say he'd bin givin'
us good advice, `because you must know, shipmates,' says he, `that I've
bin in good luck on shore, havin' fallen in with a most inte