当夜幕慢慢降临在城市、城镇和灌木丛中时，从琼斯巷的一个贫民窟里走出来了推河队长;他朝北方阴沉着脸，又朝南方阴沉着脸，用小指勾住嘴角。接着，他那响亮而尖锐的哨声，唤醒了“岩石”的回声，十几个食尸鬼从街区的拐角处溜了过来。没有什么可以激起他们的愤怒;然而每个人的誓言似乎都不如前一个更适合发表。因为他们说着下流的语言，那是只有那些在妓院和贫民窟度过童年的人才会说的话。然后他们轮流吐口水，停了下来;那跟在后面的，就向地上吐唾沫，求天打瞎他。让我们先来描述一下船长吧，他的肩膀像瓶一样瘪，脸色苍白，身材瘦削，因为他是悉尼拉利金的美人儿;就连他的帽子也最能使人联想到我们所居住的这个城市，它歪得像绞架，除了拉里金，没有人能比得上它; And the coat, a little shorter than the writer would desire, Showed a more or less uncertain portion of his strange attire. That which tailors know as `trousers' -- known by him as `bloomin' bags' -- Hanging loosely from his person, swept, with tattered ends, the flags; And he had a pointed sternpost to the boots that peeped below (Which he laced up from the centre of the nail of his great toe), And he wore his shirt uncollar'd, and the tie correctly wrong; But I think his vest was shorter than should be in one so long. And the captain crooked his finger at a stranger on the kerb, Whom he qualified politely with an adjective and verb, And he begged the Gory Bleeders that they wouldn't interrupt Till he gave an introduction -- it was painfully abrupt -- `Here's the bleedin' push, me covey -- here's a (something) from the bush! Strike me dead, he wants to join us!' said the captain of the push. Said the stranger: `I am nothing but a bushy and a dunce; `But I read about the Bleeders in the WEEKLY GASBAG once; `Sitting lonely in the humpy when the wind began to "whoosh," `How I longed to share the dangers and the pleasures of the push! `Gosh! I hate the swells and good 'uns -- I could burn 'em in their beds; `I am with you, if you'll have me, and I'll break their blazing heads.' `Now, look here,' exclaimed the captain to the stranger from the bush, `Now, look here -- suppose a feller was to split upon the push, `Would you lay for him and fetch him, even if the traps were round? `Would you lay him out and kick him to a jelly on the ground? `Would you jump upon the nameless -- kill, or cripple him, or both? `Speak? or else I'll SPEAK!' The stranger answered, `My kerlonial oath!' `Now, look here,' exclaimed the captain to the stranger from the bush, `Now, look here -- suppose the Bleeders let you come and join the push, `Would you smash a bleedin' bobby if you got the blank alone? `Would you break a swell or Chinkie -- split his garret with a stone? `Would you have a "moll" to keep yer -- like to swear off work for good?' `Yes, my oath!' replied the stranger. `My kerlonial oath! I would!' `Now, look here,' exclaimed the captain to the stranger from the bush, `Now, look here -- before the Bleeders let yer come and join the push, `You must prove that you're a blazer -- you must prove that you have grit `Worthy of a Gory Bleeder -- you must show your form a bit -- `Take a rock and smash that winder!' and the stranger, nothing loth, Took the rock -- and smash! They only muttered, `My kerlonial oath!' So they swore him in, and found him sure of aim and light of heel, And his only fault, if any, lay in his excessive zeal; He was good at throwing metal, but we chronicle with pain That he jumped upon a victim, damaging the watch and chain, Ere the Bleeders had secured them; yet the captain of the push Swore a dozen oaths in favour of the stranger from the bush. Late next morn the captain, rising, hoarse and thirsty from his lair, Called the newly-feather'd Bleeder, but the stranger wasn't there! Quickly going through the pockets of his `bloomin' bags,' he learned That the stranger had been through him for the stuff his `moll' had earned; And the language that he muttered I should scarcely like to tell. (Stars! and notes of exclamation!! blank and dash will do as well). In the night the captain's signal woke the echoes of the `Rocks,' Brought the Gory Bleeders sloping thro' the shadows of the blocks; And they swore the stranger's action was a blood-escaping shame, While they waited for the nameless, but the nameless never came. And the Bleeders soon forgot him; but the captain of the push Still i