contrary, his blue eyes contracted to narrow slits, the snarl of his
voice was communicated to his lips, so that he seemed like a dog
about to bite.

But the three fellows. They were small men, all; and young men,
anywhere between twenty-five and thirty. Though roughly dressed,
they were well dressed, and under their clothes their bodily
movements showed physical well-being. Their faces were keen cut,
intelligent. And though I felt there was something queer about them,
I could not divine what it was.

Here were no ill-fed, whiskey-poisoned men, such as the rest of the
sailors, who, having drunk up their last pay-days, had starved ashore
until they had received and drunk up their advance money for the
present voyage. These three, on the other hand were supple and
vigorous. Their movements were spontaneously quick and accurate.
Perhaps it was the way they looked at me, with incurious yet
calculating eyes that nothing escaped. They seemed so worldly wise,
so indifferent, so sure of themselves. I was confident they were not
sailors. Yet, as shore-dwellers, I could not place them. They were
a type I had never encountered. Possibly I can give a better idea of
them by describing what occurred.

As they passed before us they favoured Mr. Pike with the same
indifferent, keen glances they gave me.

"What's your name--you?" Mr. Pike barked at the first of the trio,
evidently a hybrid Irish-Jew. Jewish his nose unmistakably was.
Equally unmistakable was the Irish of his eyes, and jaw, and upper
lip.