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192 the sailor nursed himself and cursed himself by the stove.

This must have been only an episode, however, for his good humor returned, and in a month soared at higher pitch than ever. But now that winter was on, Harden found him more of a "house devil" again. He went out oftener with the spyglass to watch the shipping from behind the rail fence, and as the weather grew worse he sat in the big chair, and smoked, spat, and fiddled, or grumbled out his songs. On evenings when the snow or the cold kept him from going to Driscoll's or elsewhere, he often did his best to be entertaining, with no encouragement beyond silence.

One winter night, after scraping lugubriously on the fiddle, Lee broke out into a song of incredible filth. "That 'll do," said Marden from his corner.

The sailor leered at him, but stopped, and contented himself with sucking noisily through his teeth. Then he began another:— … But now we 're off to Adelaide For to give those girls a chance.