off the atmosphere of disease. It was toward evening and four men were
playing cards for money. I stood watching them with my hands behind my
back. I must have been there half an hour when the man directly in
front of me, looking around and staring me in the face, said:

"Get t'ell out of 'ere! I 'aven't won a penny since you've been
watching us."

The other men laughed and I moved away, excusing myself as I
departed; but before I was out of hearing, one of the men addressed
the speaker and said:

"Don't be too sure of what you could do to that fellow Irvine--his
looks belie him. He's got more steam in his elbow than you have."

That was all I heard, but as I was looking over the side a minute or
two later, a hand was laid on my shoulder. I looked around. It was the
man who had threatened me.

"Say, pal," he said, "I didn't mean no 'arm. These 'ere blokes tell me
as yer name's Irvine. Is that so?" I nodded an assent. "Did yer ever
'ave a chum 'oose name was Creedan?" Again I nodded assent. "D'ye know
what became ov 'im?"

"He was missing on the field," I replied.

"'E's dead," said the man.

Then he described to me the last moments of my friend. It appeared
that Creedan and this man fell together on the field, Creedan shot