Then two men jumped over the cockpit-rail and came into
the cabin.
"Bli' me, if 'ere they ain't snoozin'," said the first of the newcomers,
deftly rolling 'Frisco Kid out of his blankets with one hand and reaching
for the wine-bottle with the other.
French Pete put his head up on the other side of the centerboard, his eyes
heavy with sleep, and made them welcome.
"'Oo 's this?" asked the Cockney, as he was called, smacking his lips over
the wine and rolling Joe out upon the floor. "Passenger?"
"No, no," French Pete made haste to answer. "Ze new sailorman. Vaire
good boy."
"Good boy or not, he 's got to keep his tongue atween his teeth," growled
the second newcomer, who had not yet spoken, glaring fiercely at Joe.
"I say," queried the other man, "'ow does 'e whack up on the loot? I 'ope
as me and Bill 'ave a square deal."
"Ze _Dazzler_ she take one share--what you call--one third; den we split
ze rest in five shares. Five men, five shares. Vaire good."
French Pete insisted in excited gibberish that the _Dazzler_ had the
right to have three men in its crew, and appealed to 'Frisco Kid to
bear him out. But the latter left them to fight it over by themselves,
and proceeded to make hot coffee.
It was all Greek to Joe, except he knew that he was in some way the cause
of the quarrel.
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