{"id":"01KG6G85HD170S744C28TQYN40","cid":"bafkreibf2lh6shcndciifl7wescmag536ftt3pnpvg6fkkrrdizxgiptju","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":1757,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T03:48:16.150Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 3","source_file":"01KG6FXSCNX5F3D880P3YP3PKR","start_line":1701,"text":"from some chemical factory, and by repeated snortings tries to get it\r\nout of his nostrils and lungs. This frame of mind barred all desire of\r\nholding further parley with the fellow, even were it but for the purpose\r\nof gaining some enlightenment as to his design in approaching him. And\r\nyet he was not without natural curiosity to see how such a visitor in\r\nthe dark would look in broad day.\r\n\r\nHe espied him the following afternoon in his first dog-watch below, one\r\nof the smokers on that forward part of the upper gun-deck allotted to\r\nthe pipe. He recognised him by his general cut and build, more than by\r\nhis round freckled face and glassy eyes of pale blue veiled with lashes\r\nall but white. And yet Billy was a bit uncertain whether indeed it were\r\nhe--yonder chap about his own age, chatting and laughing in free-hearted\r\nway, leaning against a gun; a genial young fellow enough to look at, and\r\nsomething of a rattle-brain, to all appearance. Rather chubby, too, for\r\na sailor, even an afterguardsman. In short, the last man in the world,\r\none would think, to be overburthened with thoughts, especially those\r\nperilous thoughts that must needs belong to a conspirator in any serious\r\nproject, or even to the underling of such a conspirator.\r\n\r\nAlthough Billy was not aware of it, the fellow with a sidelong watchful\r\nglance had perceived Billy first, and then noting that Billy was looking\r\nat him, thereupon nodded a familiar sort of friendly recognition as to\r\nan old acquaintance, without interrupting the talk he was engaged in\r\nwith the group of smokers. A day or two afterwards, chancing in the\r\nevening promenade on a gun-deck to pass Billy, he offered a flying word\r\nof good-fellowship, as it were, which by its unexpectedness, and\r\nequivocalness under the circumstances, so embarrassed Billy, that he\r\nknew not how to respond to it, and let it go unnoticed.\r\n\r\nBilly was now left more at a loss than before. The ineffectual\r\nspeculations into which he was led were so disturbingly alien to him,\r\nthat he did his best to smother them. It never entered his mind that\r\nhere was a matter which, from its extreme questionableness, it was his\r\nduty as a loyal blue-jacket to report in the proper quarter. And,\r\nprobably, had such a step been suggested to him, he would have been\r\ndeterred from taking it by the thought, one of novice-magnanimity, that\r\nit would savour overmuch of the dirty work of a tell-tale. He kept the\r\nthing to himself. Yet upon one occasion he could not forbear a little\r\ndisburthening himself to the old Dansker, tempted thereto perhaps by the\r\ninfluence of a balmy night when the ship lay becalmed; the twain, silent\r\nfor the most part, sitting together on deck, their heads propped against\r\nthe bulwarks. But it was only a partial and anonymous account that Billy\r\ngave, the unfounded scruples above referred to preventing full\r\ndisclosure to anybody. Upon hearing Billy’s version, the sage Dansker\r\nseemed to divine more than he was told; and after a little meditation,\r\nduring which his wrinkles were pursed as into a point, quite effacing\r\nfor the time that quizzing expression his face sometimes wore--‘Didn’t I\r\nsay so, Baby Budd?’\r\n\r\n‘Say what?’ demanded Billy.\r\n\r\n‘Why, _Jemmy Legs_ is _down_ on you.’\r\n\r\n‘And what,’ rejoined Billy in amazement, ‘has _Jemmy Legs_ to do with\r\nthat cracked afterguardsman?’\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 3"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG6G6NZZ80XTTHEJ7JEAY72T","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG6FXSCNX5F3D880P3YP3PKR","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG2T49K0H5GDRB0G4YDTPG8H","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG6G85HDDVQ11WBY6J9Z433H","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG6G8661Y2WJPBY8G719XTWM","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T03:48:17.581Z","ts":"2026-01-30T03:48:24.622Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}