They breathed hard, clamoured with heads down. "Look at that Jack!"...
"Here! Sam! Here's my shore-going rig spoilt for ever." One blasphemed
tearfully, holding up a pair of dripping trousers. No one looked at him.
The cat came out from somewhere. He had an ovation. They snatched him
from hand to hand, caressed him in a murmur of pet names. They wondered
where he had "weathered it out;" disputed about it. A squabbling
argument began. Two men brought in a bucket of fresh water, and all
crowded round it; but Tom, lean and mewing, came up with every hair
astir and had the first drink. A couple of hands went aft for oil and
biscuits.
Then in the yellow light and in the intervals of mopping the deck they
crunched hard bread, arranging to "worry through somehow." Men chummed
as to beds. Turns were settled for wearing boots and having the use of
oilskin coats. They called one another "old man" and "sonny" in cheery
voices. Friendly slaps resounded. Jokes were shouted. One or two
stretched on the wet deck, slept with heads pillowed on their bent arms,
and several, sitting on the hatch, smoked. Their weary faces appeared
through a thin blue haze, pacified and with sparkling eyes.
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