The Virginia enterprise., 1908-11-06

lesson ash lay i'm up for a time
"'Oh,' ses Bill, looking ard at a
boat wot was passing.
"'We've got Dodgy Pete coming to
see us tonight ses Tom, in a whis-
per; 'therell only be the. second officer
aboard and he'll likely be asleep.
Dodgy's one O. the best light-weights
in Australia, and if e don't fix up Mis-
ter Joe, it'll be a pity
AT about ha'-past six Dodgy comes
aboard, and the fun begins to com.
mence.
He was a nasty, low-looking little
chap, was Dodgy, very fy-looking and
very conceited. I didn't like the look
of i'm at all, and unbearable as Joe
was, it didn't seem to be quite the
sort O thing to get chap aboard to
'ammer shipmate you couldn't am.
mer yourself.
An what's that in that bunk over
there" ses Dodgy, pointing with 'is
cigar at Joe.
Hush, be careful ses Tom, with
a wink; that's prize fighter
"'Oh,' ses Dodgy, grinning, I thought
it was monkey
Bill, who is that 'andsome, gentle
manipulating young feller over there
smoking a half-crown cigar? ses Joe.
"'That's young gent wots come
down to ave look round ses Tom,
as Dodgy takes is cigar out of is
mouth and looks round, puzzled.
Take that lovely little gentleman
and kick i'm up the foc's'le ladder,
ses Joe to Bill, taking up is jacket
agin; and don't make too much Noise
over it, cos I've got bit of eadache
else Id do it myself
"'Wots the game?' ses Dodgy
staring.
I'm obeying ORDERS ses Bill. Last
time l was in London, Joe ere hall
killed me one time, and e made me
promise to do as e told me for six
| months. I'm very sorry, mate, but
Eve got to kick you up that ladder
"'You kick me up?' ses Dodgy, with
nasty little laugh.
81 can try, mate, can't ~ ses Bill
folding is things up very neat and put
ting 'em on a locker.
The fust blow Bill missed, and the
next moment e got a tap on the jaw
that nearly broke it, and that was fol
lowed up by one in the eye that sent
i'm staggering up agin the side, and
when e was there Dodgys fists We're
| rafting all round i'm,
Il believe it was that that brought
Bill round, and the next momen,
Dodgy was on is back with a blow
that nearly knocked his cad of
Charlie grabbed at Toms watch and
began to count, and after a little bit
called out Time 1t was a silly thing
to do, as it would ave stopped the
fight then and there if it 'adnt been
for Toms presence of mind, saying
it was two minutes SLOW That gave
| Dodgy a chance, and he got up again
| and walked round Bill very careful
swearing ard at the small size of the
fo'c's'le.
He got in three or four at Bill afore
you could wink Almost, and when Bill
1T back e wasn't there.
"Cahrlie called Time again, and We
let 'em ave five minutes.
I'm five minutes more, though, ii
was all over. Dodgy not being able tc
see plain-except to get out O. Bills
way-and hitting wild. He seemed tc
| think the whole fo'c's'le was full o
Bills sitting on locker and waiting tc
be punched, and the end of it was 9
| knockout blow from the real Bill
which left i'm on the floor without 9
soul offering to pick i'm up.
Bill 'elped i'm up at last and SHOOK
hands with i'm, and they rinsed thei1
faces in the same bucket, and began tt
praise each other up. They sat there
purring like couple O cats, until al
last we card a smothered voice com
ing from Joe Simmins' bunk.
is it all over?' he asks.
"'Yes,' ses somebody.
"'How is Bill?' ses Joe's voice again
"'Look for YOURSELF ses Tom
'Joe sat up in is bunk then ant
looked out, and he no sooner saw
| Dill ldCS Ludu Ac save d lOuu VI dut
iell back agin, and, as true as I'm sit
ting here, tainted clean away. W.
was struck all of cap, and then Bill
picked up the bucket and threw som'
water over i'm, and by and by h
comes round agin and in a dazed sor
O way puts his arm round Bills necl
and begins to cry.
Mighty Moses ses Dodgy Pete
jumping up; it's woman!'
Its my wife!' ses Bill.
I'VE understood it all then, least
ways the married ones among us did
Shed shipped aboard partly to b
with Bill and partly to keep an ey'
on i'm, and Tom Bakers mistake
about a prize fighter had just suite,
her book better than anything. How
Bill was to get 'er home e couldn'
think, but it 'appened the second OF
fscer had been peeping down tn,
fo'c's'le, waiting for ever so long fo
suitable opportunity to stop th<
fight, and the old man was so tickle<
about the way we'd all been done ,,
gave 'er a passage back as stewardssi
| to look art0r tho Shin's cat"