"Kneebone--ashore! He can't be sober!" All stared; for Captain Kneebone, after one historically brief and outspoken visit, had never in all these years set foot in the port.

The two young men hurried to the stairs.
Chinamen and lanterns crowded the courtyard, stuffed the passage, and still came straggling in at the gate.

By the noise and clatter, it might have been a caravan, or a band of half-naked robbers bringing plunder.
Everywhere, on the stone flags, coolies were dumping down bundles, boxes, jute-bags crammed with heavy objects.

Among them, still brawling in bad Hindustani, the little captain gave his orders.

At sight of Heywood, however, he began once more to caper, with extravagant grimaces.