"A few more mad men like you
would ruin our work in the dock. Why, at the way you are going the
ship's bottom would be clean before night fall. This is the way to do
it," and he put his scraper against the side of the vessel and slowly
and laboriously removed a single barnacle. Then he laid the scraper on
the plank beside him and drew out his pipe which he leisurely filled
with tobacco and lighted. After taking a few whiffs he asked Paul where
he was from and what caused him to seek work there. Paul fully explained
his position and the cause that compelled him to work. After this, his
two companions seemed to thaw out and entertained him with words of
advice, instructing him in many methods of killing time when the foreman
was not around. At noon all hands were called up out of the docks and
each received a card to the value of two francs, which the foreman told
Paul he could have cashed at the canteen by purchasing a dish of soup or
a small piece of bread. Paul indulged in a five cent dinner and deeply
regretted that the Count was not there to share it with him. He
received one franc and seventy five centimes which he carefully stowed
away. After dinner the plank was shifted and they resumed work at the
barnacles. Before the six o'clock bell rang to cease work, Paul and his
two preceptors were quite friendly.
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