Free Hollow Sea by James Hanley Page B

height. Then he heard a step behind him and a voice saying:
    'Hello, Rochy, watching that eye up there?'
    He turned round. It was the sailor, Vesuvius.
    'Yes,' replied Rochdale. 'I was trying to get the colour of it.'
    'Come and sit down. I want to talk to you, Rochdale.'
    The two men sat down on the hatch. Vesuvius took a half sweat-rag from his pocket and wiped his face. To look at the man's face, with its large pimples, was like looking at the blisters on a burnt cake, though, unlike a cake, Vesuvius's face was reddish-purple. He was always dabbing at these pimples. It seemed that they only sweated.
    'Well,' said Rochdale, 'what are you going to tell us now. A miracle?'
    'We're going to Oran,' said Vesuvius. He spat on the deck.
    'Oran? What for? But I heard—'
    'Fact. Oran, first call. No reason why we shouldn't call there, is there? Probably coaling. D'you know it's about the best coaling-station in the Mediterranean?'
    'But is that all? Christ! I thought you were going to tell me that Mr. Dunford had had a child or something.'
    'No,' Vesuvius whispered in Rochdale's ear. 'No. But that fellow Walters will soon. D'you know that Williams has got hold of a uniform and aims to go down the hold to-night with his Crown and Anchor? And what's more, O'Grady and him are going to start selling scoff to the boys. That's what I wanted to tell you, Rocky, my bloody lad. Why shouldn't we be in on this? In fact, why shouldn't the whole bloody lot of us start selling scoff? They're hungry enough, God knows. And they've got the money. What damned use will money be to them fellers, say in a week? Sweating in a bloody desert. Getting their arses fanned by the Turks?'
    In the excitement of this short narrative one of the pimples on the man's face burst and he jabbed the sweat-rag to his face.
    'Can't you ever get rid of these bloody things, Vesuvius?' asked Rochdale.
    'Get rid of them? What for? No! That's a little legacy from France. I was a mug. Still I'm hanged if I want to get rid of them now. In fact, Rochdale, I like my bloody pimples.' He suddenly coughed. Rochdale stroked his chin, looked terribly serious and said:
    'I'm having beggar-all to do with this scoff business. That's that.'
    'You bloody saint,' said Vesuvius, registering his disgust. 'God damn my soul, everybody's in on it. After all, it's only a few bob.'
    'We're not billionaires. The troops don't get half enough to eat. And I tell you they have the money. Why shouldn't they fill their bellies now?'
    'I said I'd have nothing to do with it. Besides, I consider it's just lousy. Those stewards are minting a pile out of it. There's two or three I know already who've chucked the sea. Retired – one's got a bloody pub. And to make it out of these poor sods. No, sir.'
    'You won't, then,' said Vesuvius. 'I can't press you. But think about it. Blast my bloody soul, isn't everybody on the make? Everybody. Why should you be an exception? Who the hell are you anyhow?'
    'A man I hope,' replied Higginbottom. 'That's all. I'm not in on it. You'll be able to have my share as well, Vesuvius. But don't get excited about it. Your face would be a bloody mess if all those pimples burst at the same time. It's a dirty, lousy, bloody game.'
    He got up and walked away, leaving Vesuvius sitting in the hatch. Vesuvius immediately rose and went after him. 'Look here,' he said. 'It beats me really, you and your bloody conscience. Everybody else is in on this game. Are you better than any of us? Or what? Strike me bloody pink.'
    'Oh! Go to hell,' said Rochdale angrily, and went back into the fo'c'sle. Vesuvius's friends, he had no doubt at all they were cronies, were sitting together, and they were engaged in an earnest conversation. Rochdale looked at them saying 'Fairy-tale time?' and then went across to his bunk and taking up his diddy-bag turned out its contents on the bed. Williams, Turner and O'Grady went on talking. 'It's that old sod Walters,' said Williams. 'He wants all the bloody fat for