refined dignity from the salt air, the clean life, and

the dangerous occupation of the deep-sea sailor, that would

have put Kelly's gang to a pinch to have recognized their

erstwhile crony had he suddenly appeared in their midst in

the alley back of the feed-store on Grand Avenue.

With the new life Billy found himself taking on a new

character. He surprised himself singing at his work--he

whose whole life up to now had been devoted to dodging

honest labor--whose motto had been: The world owes me

a living, and it's up to me to collect it. Also, he was

surprised to discover that he liked to work, that he took keen

pride in striving to outdo the men who worked with him, and

this spirit, despite the suspicion which the captain entertained

of Billy since the episode of the forecastle, went far

to making his life more endurable on board the Halfmoon,

for workers such as the mucker developed into are not to be

sneezed at, and though he had little idea of subordination

it was worth putting up with something to keep him in condition

to work. It was this line of reasoning that saved

Billy's skull on one or two occasions when his impudence had

been sufficient to have provoked the skipper to a personal

assault upon him under ordinary conditions; and Mr. Ward,

having tasted of Billy's medicine once, had no craving for

another encounter with him that would entail personal conflict.

The entire crew was made up of ruffians and unhung murderers,

but Skipper Simms had had little experience with

seamen of any other ilk, so he handled them roughshod, using

his horny fist, and the short, heavy stick that he habitually

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