On the contrary, his blue eyes contracted to narrow slits, the snarl of his voice was communicated to his lips, so that he seemed like a dog about to bite.
But the three fellows.

They were small men, all; and young men, anywhere between twenty-five and thirty.

Though roughly dressed, they were well dressed, and under their clothes their bodily movements showed physical well-being.

Their faces were keen cut, intelligent.

And though I felt there was something queer about them, I could not divine what it was.
Here were no ill-fed, whiskey-poisoned men, such as the rest of the sailors, who, having drunk up their last pay-days, had starved ashore until they had received and drunk up their advance money for the present voyage.