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"Arter three days had passed, and the thing was still follering us, everybody made certain of taking it to New York, an’ I b’leeve if it hadn’t been for Joe Cooper the question about the sea-sarpint would ha’been settled long ago. He was a most eggstraordinary ugly chap was Joe. He had a perfic cartoon of a face, an’ he was so delikit-minded andsensitive about it that if a chap only stopped in the street and whistled as he passed him, or pointed him out to a friend, he didn’t like it. He told me once when I was symperthizing with him, that the only time a woman ever spoke civilly to him was one night down Poplar way in a fog, an’ he was so ‘appy about it that they both walked into the canal afore he knew where they was.

"On the fourth morning, when we was only about three days from SandyHook, the skipper got out o’ bed wrong side, an’ when he went on deck hewas ready to snap at anybody, an’ as luck would have it, as he walked abit forrard, he sees Joe a-sticking his phiz over the side looking atthe sarpint.

"’What the d— are you doing?’ shouts the skipper, ‘What do you mean byit?’

"’Mean by what, sir?’ asks Joe.

"’Putting your black ugly face over the side o’ the ship an’ frighteningmy sea-sarpint!’ bellows the skipper, ‘You know how easy it’s skeered.’

"’Frightening the sea-sarpint?’ ses Joe, trembling all over, an’ turningvery white.

"’If I see that face o’ yours over the side agin, my lad,’ ses the skipper very fierce, ‘I’ll give it a black eye. Now cut!’

"Joe cut, an’ the skipper, having worked off some of his ill-temper,went aft again and began to chat with the mate quite pleasant like. Iwas down below at the time, an’ didn’t know anything about it for hoursarter, and then I heard it from one o’ the firemen. He comes up to mevery mysterious like, an’ ses, ‘Bill,’ he ses, ‘you’re a pal o’ Joe’s;come down here an’ see what you can make of ‘im.’

"Not knowing what he meant, I follered ‘im below to the engine-room, an’there was Joe sitting on a bucket staring wildly in front of ‘im, andtwo or three of ’em standing round looking at ‘im with their ‘eads onone side.

"’He’s been like that for three hours,’ ses the second engineer in awhisper, ‘dazed like.’

"As he spoke Joe gave a little shudder; ‘Frighten the sea-sarpint!’ seshe, ‘O Lord!’

"’It’s turned his brain,’ ses one o’ the firemen, ‘he keeps saying nothing but that.’

"’If we could only make ‘im cry,’ ses the second engineer, who had abrother what was a medical student, ‘it might save his reason. But howto do it, that’s the question.’

"’Speak kind to ‘im, sir,’ ses the fireman.’I’ll have a try if you don’t mind.’ He cleared his throat first, an’ then he walks over to Joeand puts his hand on his shoulder an’ ses very soft an’ pitiful like:

"’Don’t take on, Joe, don’t take on, there’s many a ugly mug ‘ides agood ‘art,’

"Afore he could think o’ anything else to say, Joe ups with his fist an’gives ‘im one in the ribs as nearly broke ’em. Then he turns away ‘is’ead an’ shivers again, an’ the old dazed look come back.

"’Joe,’ I ses, shaking him, ‘Joe!’

"’Frightened the sea-sarpint!’ whispers Joe, staring.

"’Joe,’ I ses, ‘Joe. You know me, I’m your pal, Bill.’

"’Ay, ay,’ ses Joe, coming round a bit.

"’Come away,’ I ses, ‘come an’ git to bed, that’s the best place foryou.’

"I took ‘im by the sleeve, and he gets up quiet an’ obedient and follersme like a little child. I got ‘im straight into ‘is bunk, an’ arter atime he fell into a soft slumber, an’ I thought the worst had passed,but I was mistaken. He got up in three hours’ time an’ seemed all right,’cept that he walked about as though he was thinking very hard aboutsomething, an’ before I could make out what it was he had a fit.