human
Yis, youse all sober up for your chewings, but youse can't sober up fer work, some of yez.
gpt
That's so, came Cockney's chirruping shriek.
human
Them that wasn't workin' jest now shouldn't git anythink ter eat.
gpt
Oh, kickin', kickin'! said Mike.
human
You deserve to be given just the Board of Trade Allowance, the way youse are kickin'! Are youse aware that there's more rations there than the Board of Trade grants ye? He turned to explain to Michael, friendly:
gpt
Them fellers whose mothers was rakin' in the ash bucket for a crust would be kickin' if they sat down to ate this day with the captain.
human
Well, said he,
gpt
I suppose the captain didn't spind his life lying on his back in the parks! He paused, and nodded his head, to let that soak in, before he added:
human
So as to get his freezin' job up on the bridge. Do ye begrudge him his pie, damn ye?
gpt
Pie! Oh pie! cried one, and there began a great talk about
human
and
gpt
and
human
Well! said Mike, hearing all that jargon.
gpt
I thought it was cattlemen we was. We seem to be a bunch of hoboes, back-door beggars----
human
Front-door! shouted a sharp, pale-faced little youth.
gpt
I always go to the front-door. If it's an old woman what opens I always asks her if she would ask her mother to give something.
human
What are you doing that for? Let the rats alone.
gpt
What for?
human
To keep them friendly. You may throw your arm out of your bunk in your sleep, and if ye're always disturbing the rats they'll lay on to your hand then. But if you pay no attention to them at any time they'll understand it was an accident.
gpt
When I was on the steamship _A-Chiles_ the rats used to come up every meal time and form up behind us clean round the table. There was a laugh.
human
I'm tellin' ye! said Michael.
gpt
There's no use of me going further if ye don't believe the first of it.
human
What else, then?
gpt
What was the rest?
human
I was going to tell them, answered Michael,
gpt
he waved a hand behind him as if there were rats there now--