nt ward of the London
Horse-pittle, poor chap."

He shook his head thoughtfully, and ignoring the statement of a watchman
at the next wharf that it was a fine evening, shifted his quid and
laughed rumblingly.

"The funniest way o' raising the wind I ever 'eard of," he said in
explanation, "was one that 'appened about fifteen years ago. I'd just
taken my discharge as A.B. from the _North Star_, trading between here
and the Australian ports, and the men wot the thing 'appened to was
shipmates o' mine, although on'y firemen.

"I knows it's a true story, becos I was in it a little bit myself,
and the other part I 'ad from all of 'em, and besides, they didn't see
anything funny in it at all, or anything out of the way. It seemed to
them quite a easy way o' making money, and I dessay if it 'ad come off
all right I should have thought so too.

"In about a week arter we was paid off at the Albert Docks these chaps
was all cleaned out, and they was all in despair, with a thirst wot
wasn't half quenched and a spree wot was on'y in a manner o' speaking
just begun, and at the end of that time they came round to a room wot
I 'ad, to see wot could be done. There was four of 'em in all: old
Sam Small, Ginger Dick, Peter Russet, and a orphan nevy of Sam's whose
father and mother was dead. The mother 'ad been 'alf nigger an' 'alf
Malay when she was living, and Sam was always pertickler careful to
point out that his nevy took arter 'er. It was enough to make the pore
woman turn in 'er grave to say so, but Sam used to say that 'e owed it
to 'is brother to explain.

"'Wot's to be done?' ses Peter Russet, arter they'd all said wot
miserable chaps they was, an' 'ow badly sailor-men was paid. 'We're
all going to sign on in the _Land's End_, but she doesn't sail for a
fortnight; wot's to be done in the meantime for to live?'

"'There's your watch, Peter,' ses old Sam, dreamy-like, 'and there's
Ginger's ring. It's a good job you kep' that ring, Ginger. We're all
in the same boat, mates, an' I on'y wish as I'd got something for the
general good. It's 'aving an orphan nevy wot's kep' me pore.'

"'Stow it,' ses the nevy, short-like.

"'Everything's agin us,' ses old Sam. There's them four green parrots I
brought from Brazil, all dead.'

"'So are my two monkeys,' ses Peter Russet, shaking 'is 'ead; 'they used
to sleep with me, too.'

"They all shook their 'eads then, and Russet took Sam up very sharp for
saying that p'r'aps if he 'adn'