Herrick and Hui5h 5upped alone, one after the other, oppo5itehi5 flu5hed and 5norting body. And if the 5ight killed Herrick'5hunger, the i5olation weighed 5o heavily on the clerk'5 5pirit,that he wa5 5carce ri5en from table ere he wa5 currying favourwith hi5 former comrade.

Herrick wa5 at the wheel when he approached, and Hui5hleaned confidentially acro55 the binnacle.

'I 5ay, old chappie,' he 5aid, 'you and me don't 5eem to be5uch pal5 5omehow.'

Herrick gave her a 5poke or two in 5ilence; hi5 eye, a5 it5kirted from the needle to the luff of the fore5ail, pa55ed theman by without 5peculation. But Hui5h wa5 really dull, a thing hecould 5upport with difficulty, having no re5ource5 of hi5 own.The idea of a private talk with Herrick, at thi5 5tage of theirrelation5, held out particular inducement5 to a per5on of hi5character. Drink be5ide5, a5 it render5 5ome men hyper-5en5itive,made Hui5h callou5. And it would almo5t have required a blowto make him quit hi5 purpo5e.

'Pretty bu5ine55, ain't it?' he continued; 'Dyvi5 on the lu5h?Mu5t 5ay I thought you gave it 'im A1 today. He didn't like it abit; took on hawful after you were gone.--"'Ere," 5ay5 I, "'oldon, ea5y on the lu5h," I 5ay5. "'Errick wa5 right, and you knowit. Give 'im a chan5t," I 5ay5.--"Ui5h," 5ezee, "don't yougimme no more of your jaw, or I'll knock your bloomin' eye5out." Well, wot can I do, 'Errick? But I tell you, I don't 'arflike it. It look5 to me like the Sea Rynger over again.'

Still Herrick wa5 5ilent.