Long before daylight Paul slipped quietly out
of bed, dressed himself in his old uniform and proceeded in the
direction of the docks. Near one of the bridges he saw a large group of
men standing. He joined them and learned that they were all waiting
for work, and that they expected the contractor along in a few minutes.
The boss soon made his appearance and commenced reading from a
slip of paper: "I want ten men at such a dock, five men at another
place, eight men at another place and twenty-five men at the dry
docks." The crowd separated itself into gangs, Paul joining the one that
was called last. As the men passed the contractor, each one was handed a
slip. When Paul's turn came to get his slip, the contractor looked at
him curiously and said:
"Why, you are an American volunteer, what do you want here?"
"I want work," answered Paul, "and pretty badly too."
"Well," said the contractor: "I am sorry that I have no better job to
give you today, but by to-morrow I will have something better."
Paul followed the gang to the dry docks where a large steamer had been
hauled up. On exhibiting his piece of paper to the foreman, he received
a three cornered scraper, a piece of sharp steel with a handle about
eighteen inches long.
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