“Is this here table for my mate Bill?” he asked with a kind of leer.
I told him I did not know his mate Bill, and this was for a person who
stayed in our house whom we called the captain.
“Well,” said he, “my mate Bill would be called the captain, as like
as not. He has a cut on one cheek and a mighty pleasant way with him,
particularly in drink, has my mate Bill. We’ll put it, for argument
like, that your captain has a cut on one cheek--and we’ll put it, if you
like, that that cheek’s the right one. Ah, well! I told you. Now, is my
mate Bill in this here house?”