“‘After him!  Catch th’ blackguard!’ bawls O’Toole, rolling on th’ pavement, laffin’ an’ bawlin’.

“That old beggar was clipper built, fer sure, for wid her skirts clewed up she ware bearin’ down fast on th’ old mate an’ kept his bow-legs a-lurchin’ afore th’ crowd a-comin’ along in th’ wake a-yellin’ an’ hootin’ like mad.  A man jumped out to stop him, but I knowed Garnett would niver stop this side o’ th’ gangway av his ship, an’ sure ’nuff, out flashes his hand an? th’ Dago rolls over an’ over.  They yelled harder than ever, an’ Garnett had to shake out another reef afore he could make th’ gang-plank, an’ get aboard.  He managed to get below jest as some soldiers rushed up.  Th’ noise brought Andrews on deck in time to get men to keep th’ crowd off his ship, an’ thin O’Toole comes up.

“‘What’s th’ row?’ he bawls to th’ mate, but O’Toole ware laffin’ so he couldn’t spake a whurd.  Finally he got it out.

“’Faith, ‘tis th’ leddy-killer av th’ fleet, Garnett, at his owld game,’ sez he. ’’Pon me whurd, ‘tis a hangin’ matter this time, fer th’ damage he’s done th’ sex.  He ware—­’ but he bruk down afore he could finish.

“‘Twas five minits afore he could tell what had happened, th’ old gal cussin’ an’ swearin’ an’ th’ crowd a-hootin’ an’ jeerin’, but finally th’ skipper got some soldiers to carry th’ old gal away.  Thin out comes Garnett on th’ main deck a-smellin’ av his little vial, but avoidin’ av th’ skipper’s eye.

“‘What th’ devil did ye mean?’ asked Andrews; ’did ye take her to be Jameson in disguise?’

“‘’Pon me whurd,’ says O’Toole, ‘th’ first wan that comes aboard was no other—­an’ this one looked enough like him from a stern view.  ’Tis a bad trade, though, this killin’ av leddies.’  An’ he leered so at Garnett he swore horrible an’ went forrads.

“I ware standin’ close enough to catch th’ glint in Andrews’ eye whin this ware said, but he took no notice an’ went ashore, an’ as I followed after him he was thinkin’ hard.”

Here Chips spat quietly into the corner, fingered his pipe, and rammed the ash down.  Then he looked up at the light, and a different expression came upon him.  The bos’n’s smile died away, and all sat listening for the finish.  Far forward sounded the cries of men dressing down the head sheets.

“I hadn’t much to do,” continued Chips, softly, “so I walked on an’ saw him stop at a flower stand an’ buy a bunch av roses.  I wint across to th’ cemetery where th’ trees are good to look at an’ th’ grass is green as th’ sea nigh th’ States.  I hadn’t gone far whin I sees a man standin’ nigh a grave wid another man lyin’ on it.  I couldn’t tell who th’ men ware till I came close, fer ‘twas now gettin’ dark.  Thin when Andrews stooped an’ lifted th’ head av th’ one lyin’ down, I saw them both plain enough.  Jameson’s head made me feel sick wid th’ horror av it.  Whin I spoke, Andrews let th’ poor fellow sink back again, an’ as I stood alongside I saw th’