ODD CRAFT

By W.W. Jacobs



BILL'S LAPSE

Strength and good-nature--said the night-watchman, musingly, as he felt
his biceps--strength and good-nature always go together. Sometimes you
find a strong man who is not good-natured, but then, as everybody he
comes in contack with is, it comes to the same thing.

The strongest and kindest-'earted man I ever come across was a man o' the
name of Bill Burton, a ship-mate of Ginger Dick's. For that matter 'e
was a shipmate o' Peter Russet's and old Sam Small's too. Not over and
above tall; just about my height, his arms was like another man's legs
for size, and 'is chest and his back and shoulders might ha' been made
for a giant. And with all that he'd got a soft blue eye like a gal's
(blue's my favourite colour for gals' eyes), and a nice, soft, curly
brown beard. He was an A.B., too, and that showed 'ow good-natured he
was, to pick up with firemen.

He got so fond of 'em that when they was all paid off from the _Ocean
King_ he asked to be allowed to join them in taking a room ashore. It
pleased every-body, four coming cheaper than three, and Bill being that
good-tempered that 'e'd put up with anything, and when any of the three
quarrelled he used to act the part of peacemaker.

[Illustration: "When any of the three quarrelled he used to act the part