Page:Morley roberts--Blue Peter--sea yarns.djvu/84

68 spent the one dollar and fifty cents which he had earned by pure intellect.

"Perhaps I'm a fool to be at sea," he said to himself. "I shouldn't wonder if Jack's right."

And next evening they walked up to Lant and Gulliver's, and demanded to see either or both of the partners in private.

"’Tis puttin' our 'eads in the lion's mouth to come 'ere," said Jack Eales, "and you and me will do well not to touch a drop, whatever these land-sharks offer, Corlett. Doped drinks ain't for me just now. So don't go large at all, my son."

"I won't," said Corlett, "if none of 'em don't offer me a drink three times, I can 'old off it, Jack. Sayin' 'no' once is tol'rable easy. I can squeeze out a second if it's a case of 'ave to; but what I dread's the third."

Jack Eales nodded.

"The third time's what proves a man's principles, I own. I've gone to four times more than once soon after bein' very much under the weather. But 'ere we are."

They came to Lant and Gulliver's boarding-house, the whole front of which was a saloon. It looked a 'tough' house, and it was tough