I waited till they was all finished, and the policeman
trying to get 'is hearing back, and then I spoke up in a quiet way and
told 'im to clear them all off of my wharf.
"They're trespassing," I ses, "all except the skipper and mate here.
They belong to a little wash-tub that's laying alongside, and they're
both as 'armless as they look."
It's wonderful wot a uniform will do. The policeman just jerked his 'ead
and said "out-side," and the men went out like a flock of sheep. The
on'y man that said a word was the carman, who was in such a hurry that 'e
knocked his bad shin against my foot as 'e went by. The thin little
woman was passed out by the policeman in the middle of a speech she was
making, and he was just going for the other, when the skipper stopped
'im.
"This lady is coming on my ship," he ses, puffing out 'is chest.
I looked at 'im, and then I turned to the policeman. "So long as she
goes off my wharf, I don't mind where she goes," I ses. "The skipper's
goings-on 'ave got nothing to do with me.
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