Page:Cruise of the Dry Dock.djvu/25

 The newcomers still stared at their gigantic surroundings when the interested Frenchman said politely:

“It ees large, beeg, yes?”

“Where's the boss?” inquired Leonard. “We've got jobs aboard this craft.”

“He is making out the papers now, I think, and ees in a bad temper, too.”

With this discouraging information, the two young men started for the officers' cabin. As they entered the place they met a crew of typical London longshoresmen coming out. Inside, a stocky purple-cheeked cockney stood at a little desk and glowered at them with small red eyes.

“'Ow's this?” he growled sharply, and in some surprise. “You are not in th' crew Hi picked hup.”

“No, we applied at the office—”

“Hoffice, hoffice,” snarled the man. “W'ot do they know about men, settin' hup there with their legs cocked hup? W'ot is it ye want anyway?”

Leonard silently offered a paper he had received from the British Towing and Shipping Company. The mate wrinkled his half inch of