Page:Cruise of the Dry Dock.djvu/237

 w'ack!” “Aye, that 'e did, sor!” “It sounds queer, an' it looked queerer, but 'e did, sor!”

Madden made a sharp angry gesture for silence, “One at a time. Mulcher, what happened?”

“'E comes in, Mr. Madden,” began the cockney more composedly, “an' says, 'Forward, men, lively now,' an' Galton 'e turns an' says, 'Ye may take that, ye—'”

Again came the irrepressible chorus, “Aye, that 'e did, sor!”

“If a man speaks before I address him, I'll brain him!” shouted Madden. “Hogan, what happened?”

“If you plaze, Misther Madden, Misther Smith came in and asked iv'rybody to stip forward and quit atin' up th' grub. Galton was mad innyway, an' had a glass o' whiskey in his hand. 'Quit atin'!' yills Galton. 'A officer niver wants nobody to ate but himself.' Then, 'Take thot!' he yills, and flings his whiskey straight into Smith's face.

“Av cour-rse, we ixpected to see him smash Galton to smithereens, him being dhrunk—Galton, I mane—but he stood still as a post, sir,