He was told off to a certain plank suspended
by ropes down the side of the vessel in company with two old dock rats
who eyed him rather sullenly as though he was an intruder. Paul
quickly slipped down the rope and seated himself on the plank, while the
two professors climbed leisurely down and took a seat on either
end, he occupying the middle. The side of the ship was thickly studded
with barnacles and other shell fish. She had just returned from a long
voyage to the tropics and was very foul. The air was chilly and raw down
on the dark, damp stone dock. Paul was anxious to warm himself, so
made a furious onslaught on the barnacles and soon had them flying in
every direction. He stopped for breath and found his companions,
instead of following his example, were gazing at him with looks of
disgust and astonishment. One of them exclaimed:
"Regard him, look at him!"
While the other, with feigned pity, tapped his forehead with the tips of
his fingers, as much as to say, "He is crazy, my brother." One of them
then placed his hand on Paul's arm and asked him how long he had been
engaged in scraping ship's bottoms.
"This is my first day," answered Paul, thinking he might have done
something wrong.
"I thought so," responded his questioner.
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