Mellaire demanded.
"Because, sir," said Charles Davis, applying a second match to his
pipe, "because"--puff, puff--"he bothered my sleep." Here he caught
Mr. Pike's glowering eye. "Because"--puff, puff--"he annoyed me.
The next time"--puff, puff--"I hope better judgment will be shown in
what kind of a man is put in with me. Besides"--puff, puff--"this
top bunk ain't no place for me. It hurts me to get into it"--puff,
puff--"an' I'm gem' back to that lower bunk as soon as you get
O'Sullivan out of it."
"But what'd you do it for?" Mr. Pike snarled.
"I told you, sir, because he annoyed me. I got tired of it, an' so,
this morning, I just put him out of his misery. An' what are you
goin' to do about it? The man's dead, ain't he? An' I killed 'm in
self-defence. I know the law. What right'd you to put a ravin'
lunatic in with me, an' me sick an' helpless?"
"By God, Davis!" the mate burst forth. "You'll never draw your pay-
day in Seattle. I'll fix you out for this, killing a crazy lashed
down in his bunk an' harmless.
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