Keeping Watch
Page 3
my young lady like that,' ses the young man.
"'Your young lady?' I ses. 'H'mm! You should ha' seen 'er 'arf an hourago.'
"The gal looked at me steady for a moment.
"'He put 'is nasty fat arm round my waist, Alfred,' she ses.
"'Wot!' ses the young man, squeaking. 'WOT!'
"He snatched up the mop wot that nasty, untidy cook 'ad left leaningagin the side, and afore I 'ad any idea of wot 'e was up to he shovedthe beastly thing straight in my face.
"'Next time,' he ses, 'I'll tear you limb from limb!'
"I couldn't speak for a time, and when I could 'e stopped me with themop agin. It was like a chained lion being tormented by a monkey. Istepped down on to the cabin floor, and then I told 'em both wot Ithought of 'em.
"'Come along, Alfred,' ses the gal, 'else the cook'll be back before westart.'
"'He's all right,' ses the young man. 'Minnie's looking arter him.When I left he'd got 'arf a bottle of whisky in front of 'im.'
"'Still, we may as well go,' ses Miss Butt. 'It seems a shame to keepthe cab waiting.'
"'All right,' he ses. 'I just want to give this old chump one more lickwith the mop and then we'll go.'
"He peeped down the skylight and waited, but I kept quite quiet, with myback towards 'im.
"'Come along,' ses Miss Butt.
"'I'm coming,' he ses. 'Hi! You down there! When the cap'n comes backtell 'im that I'm taking Miss Butt to an aunt o' mine in the country.And tell'im that in a week or two he'll 'ave the largest and nicestpiece of wedding-cake he 'as ever 'ad in his life. So long!'
"'Good-bye, watchman,' ses the gal.
"They moved off without another word--from them, I mean. I heard thewicket slam and then I 'eard a cab drive off over the stones. Icouldn't believe it at first. I couldn't believe a gal with suchbeautiful blue eyes could be so hard-'earted, and for a long time Istood listening and hoping to 'ear the cab come back. Then I stepped upto the companion and tried to shift it with my shoulders.
"I went back to the cabin at last, and arter lighting the lamp I 'adanother sup o' the skipper's whisky to clear my 'ead, and sat down totry and think wot tale I was to tell 'im. I sat for pretty near threehours without thinking of one, and then I 'eard the crew come on to thewharf.
"They was a bit startled when they saw my 'ead at the skylight, and thenthey all started at the same time asking me wot I was doing. I told 'emto let me out fust and then I'd tell 'em, and one of 'em 'ad juststepped round to the companion when the skipper come on to the wharf andstepped aboard. He stooped down and peeped at me through the skylightas though he couldn't believe 'is eyesight, and then, arter sending thehands for'ard and telling 'em to stay there, wotever 'appened, heunlocked the companion and came down."